Trauma & Stress Disorders

Question 1

PTSD symptoms include:

Answer 1

• At least one intrusion (recurring distressing memories or dreams, flashbacks, intense reactive distress or physiological reactions)
• At least one symptom of avoidance
• At least two negative changes in mood and cognition
• At least two symptoms of arousal

These symptoms last at least one month. Some PTSD symptoms may not manifest until at least six months after the traumatic event.

Question 2

The following medications help with PTSD symptoms:

Answer 2

Antidepressants
* Sertraline (Zoloft) - SSRI
* Paroxetine (Paxil) - SSRI
* Fluoxetine (Prozac) - SSRI
* Venlafaxine (Effexor) - SNRI

Mood stabilizers may be prescribed if antidepressants aren’t working.

Question 3

The following therapeutic techniques are effective for people with PTSD:

Answer 3

• Exposure therapy
• EMDR
• CBT
• Cognitive processing therapy

Question 4

The following assessments screen for PTSD:

Answer 4

provided.

• Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5)
• Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5)
• SPAN - acronym for startle, physical response to reminders, anger, & numbness; self-assessment
• Short PTSD Rating Interview (SPRINT) - 8-item self-report tool
• Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ)

Question 5

Other trauma- and stress-related disorders include:

Answer 5

• Reactive attachment disorder - chronically being emotionally withdrawn from adult caretakers before age 5
• Disinhibited social engagement disorder - child seeks out and interacts with unfamiliar adults
• Acute stress disorder - symptoms are the same as those for PTSD, but at least nine symptoms from any category manifest immediately after the trauma and lasting from three days to one month
• Adjustment disorders - emotional or behavioral symptoms as reaction to definitive stress inducing events, appearing within three months of the event.
• Prolonged grief disorder - persistent symptoms of grief, at least one year following the death of loved one