AB: Trauma Disorders Flashcards
(33 cards)
How do trauma-related disorders differ from all other major DSM diagnoses?
Trauma-related diagnoses rest on the idea that horrific life experiences can trigger serious psychological symptoms. These diagnoses contrast with all other major DSM diagnoses, which are defined entirely by symptom profile
What does PTSD entail?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) entails an extreme response to a severe stressor, including recurrent memories of the trauma, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, negative emotions and thoughts, and symptoms of increased arousal.
How does the diagnostic define serious trauma?
an event that involves actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation.
What are the four symptom clusters that the DSM requires for the diagnosis of PTSD?
- Intrusively re-experiencing the traumatic event.
- Avoidance of stimuli associated with the event.
- Other signs of negative mood and thought that developed after the trauma.
- Symptoms of increased arousal and reactivity
What other difficulties is PTSD tied to?
feeling less satisfied in their relationships, and rates of marital dissatisfaction and divorce are high compared with the general population. Unemployment is common as well. Suicidal thoughts are common among people with PTSD), as are incidents of nonsuicidal self-injury. People with PTSD also show high rates of medical illness
Name an intrusion symptom which may be observed specifically in children
Repetitive play regarding trauma themes or reenactment of trauma during play
prolonged exposure to trauma, such as repeated childhood abuse, might lead to a broader range of symptoms than those covered by the DSM criteria for PTSD. Some have proposed that this syndrome be referred to as complex PTSD. Why has this not been carried out?
prolonged trauma can lead to more severe PTSD symptoms but does not result in a distinct subtype with unique symptomatology
How does acute stress disorder differ from PTSD?
the duration is shorter; this diagnosis is only applicable when the symptoms last for 3 days to 1 month.
What are the concerns regarding ASD? (2)
the diagnosis could stigmatise very common short-term reactions to serious traumas,, Second, the diagnosis of ASD is not very predictive of who will develop PTSD.
What are the advantages of classifying ASD as a disorder?
ASD diagnosis may encourage providers to identify people who could use more support after a trauma., there is also evidence that treating ASD may help prevent the development of PTSD
Is PTSD usually comorbid with other disorders? What disorders are comorbid with PTSD?
Of people diagnosed with PTSD by 26, 93% had been diagnosed with a mental disorder before 21.
Anxiety: 2/3, major depression, substance abuse, conduct disorder and personality disorders.
What gender differences are there in PTSD
Men usually war, women usually rape. Among people exposed to a trauma, women are 1.5 to 2 times as likely to develop PTSD as are men
What is a possible reason for this difference?
In studies that control for history of sexual abuse and assault, men and women have comparable rates of PTSD
What risk factors are there for PTSD? (4)
Genetics, childhood exposure to trauma and greater amygdala activation and diminished activity of regions of the medial prefrontal cortex in response to threat.
What psychological model is often applied to PTSD
Mowrer’s two-factor model of conditioning has been applied to PTSD
How does living in a country at war influence chances of developing PTSD?
simply living in a country at war does not increase the risk of PTSD, perhaps because many in these countries do not witness the violence; in contrast, those who directly witness atrocities are at a fourfold higher risk than the general population of developing PTSD
What was the number of psychiatric admissions in WWII closely correlated with?
how many casualties occurred in their battalions. 98 percent of men with 60 days of continuous combat would develop psychiatric problems
Regarding the nature of the trauma what matters in its effect?
Type, severity and type of trauma
Give an example of how type of trauma matters
Traumas caused by humans are more likely to cause PTSD than are natural disasters
Beyond regions tied to anxiety disorders (amygdala and prefrontal cortex) what brain area does PTSD seem to be uniquely related to? Why may this be?
Hippocampus, it plays a central role in our ability to locate autobiographical memories in space, time, and context.
What style of coping may be more likely to produce symptoms of PTSD?
people who cope with a trauma by trying to avoid thinking about it
What symptoms do most of the studies on avoidance focus on? Why is this?
symptoms of dissociation (such as feeling removed from one’s body or emotions or being unable to remember the event.) People who have symptoms of dissociation during and immediately after the trauma are more likely to develop PTSD.
What factors help people adapt to severe traumas more adaptively?
cognitive ability and strong social support
What positive effects can trauma have?
an increased appreciation of life, renews a focus on life priorities, and provides an opportunity to understand one’s strengths in overcoming adversity
