Although biological systems have evolved to promote stress-resilience, there is variation in stress-responses. Understanding the biological basis of such individual differences has implications for understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) etiology, which is a maladaptive response to trauma occurring only in a subset of vulnerable individuals.
The Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders defines posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as “a complex disorder in which a person’s memory, emotional responses, intellectual processes, and nervous system have been disrupted by one or more traumatic experiences.” PTSD is classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a “trauma and stressor-related disorder” and is the only psychiatric diagnosis (along with acute stress disorder) that depends on a factor outside the person—namely, a traumatic stressor that is outside the range of usual experience.
Salloum and colleagues have presented data in support of a novel and cost-effective approach to the treatment of PTSD in young children. In this commentary I outline an argument for why their stepped-care model may be an important change to how psychological therapies for trauma- exposed youth are delivered, and propose further caveats that need to be addressed in future research.
This chapter gives an insight in the possibilities and limitations of the prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An elaboration upon the diagnosis, criteria, onset and prevalence demonstrates the enormous impact of PTSD. Prevalence rates vary between countries and with the intensity of missions, but are lower in non-US Western countries. The risk factors for PTSD are well documented, as well as relationships between PTSD and an individual’s psychological, biological, and social functioning.
Previous findings on the impact of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have revealed inconsistencies, which may have been related to small sample sizes or differences in the presence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). In this study, the potentially aggravating impact of PTSD and the role of CSA were examined in a large cohort of BPD patients.
Humber College School of Health Sciences has partnered with Toronto-based charity the Tema Conter Memorial Trust to offer MANERS Psychological First Aid. MANERS is an innovative two-day workshop designed for anyone that deals with trauma or crises.