Trauma related disorders Flashcards
How does the duration and timing of symptoms differ between PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder?
- PTSD - Symptoms must persist for more than a month
- Acute stress disorder -Symptoms last for a minimum of three days and a maximum of one month
- Adjustment disorder - Symptoms develop within 3 months of stressor, but are resolved within 6 months
How does symptom presentation differ between PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder?
- PTSD - varying severity, and includes six symptoms across the four categories: (1) intrusive, (2) avoidance, (3) negative changes to mood and cognition, (4) changes in arousal and reactivity.
- Acute stress disorder -Varying severity, and included 9 symptoms across the same categories
- Adjustment disorder - Less severe than PTSD, but still enough to cause impairment. Symptoms are emotional and behavioural.
How would you summarise the findings of Bryant et al (2013) in relation to the course of PTSD?
Cover:
What was studies, including time points and diagnostic categories.
The two main learnings from the study.
- Bryant et al (2013) studied the course of PTSD symptoms across FOUR timepoints (0 months, 3 months, 12 months, 24 months) and THREE diagnostic categories (PTSD, subsyndromal PTSD, no PTSD)
- The study indicated that the overwhelming major9ty of participants did not develop PTSD (subsyndromal or otherwise), but that there was significant movement between each of diagnostic categories across the time periods. That is, between any time points, participants could transition from any diagnostic category to any other diagnostic category,
Describe the four stage cognitive model of PTSD that we were taught.
Hints:
- Perception
- Emotion/Physiological
- Behaviour
- Learning
- Vivid memories of trauma, giving a sense of threat in the present moment
- Anxiety
- Safety behaviour
- Failure to contextualise the memory (it remains vivid). Failure to learn how to appraise danger.
What are some of the EIGHT pre-trauma risk factors we learned about for PTSD?
Hints:
- Gender
- Personality
- Age
- Intelligence
- Family of origin
- Mental health
- Family history
- Biology
- Being female
- High neuroticism personality
- Being young
- Lower intelligence/education
- Unstable family during childhood
- Pre-existing mood/anxiety disorder
- Family history of mood/anxiety disorder
- Attenuated cortisol levels
What are the FOUR risk factors we learned about for PTSD, relating to the trauma itself.
Hints:
- Type
- Perceived threat
- Control
- … no hint for this one
- Type of trauma (e.g., inter personal)
- Perceived degree of life threat
- Predictability & controllability
- Duration & frequency
What are the TWO peri-trauma risk factors we learned about for PTSD?
- Arousal levels in the acute post-trauma phase
- Dissociation at the time of trauma
What are the THREE peri-trauma risk factors we learned about for PTSD?
- Level of social support and positive support
- Validation of the experience
- Opportunities to ‘process’ the experience
What are the FIVE categories of psychological process we learned about for PTSD?
Hints:
M - D - CA - CA & E - B
- Memory
- Dissociation
- Cognitive-affective
- Cognitive appraisal and resulting emotions
- Beliefs
What THREE things are notable about memory processes in relation to PTSD?
Hints:
1. Pattern
- Flashbacks
- Working memory
- Contradictory pattern - both vivid recall and vague, error prone memory
- Flashbacks - different to autobiographical memory b/c dominated by sensory detail, typically disjointed and fragmented.
- Impaired working memory - related to intruding thoughts
What is at the heart of ‘single trial learning’?
“Severe stimulus” leads to “severe response”
What additional factors would lead you to consider a diagnosis of complex PTSD instead of just PTSD?
Persistent and pervasive impairments in affective, self and relational functioning, including:
Emotional dysregulation (react intensely)
Interpersonal dysfunction (extreme ups and downs)
Difficulties in self-identify (I feel empty inside)
What are FOUR critiques we learned about the concept of Adjustment Disorder?
Hints:
- Assessment
- Epidemiology
- Concept creep
- Diagnosis
- No standardised diagnostic assessment tool
- Not included in any major epidemiological studies
- Arguably medicalises the ‘problems of living’?
- Can simply be a “wastebasket diagnosis” for those who don’t meet criteria for other things.
