Chapter 6 - Trauma & Stress

Question 1

What are the two main components of stress?

Answer 1

Stressor (event creating demands) and stress response (reactions to demands).

Question 2

What are the two main disorders categorized as ‘Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders’ in DSM-5?

Answer 2

Acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Question 3

What system in the brain triggers arousal and fear responses?

Answer 3

The hypothalamus.

Question 4

What are the two pathways by which the body produces arousal and fear reactions?

Answer 4

Sympathetic nervous system pathway and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) pathway.

Question 5

What distinguishes acute stress disorder from PTSD?

Answer 5

Acute stress disorder lasts less than one month, while PTSD lasts longer and may develop months or years after trauma.

Question 6

What percentage of people with PTSD do not develop a full clinical syndrome until six months or more after trauma?

Answer 6

0.25

Question 7

What are some common symptoms of both acute stress disorder and PTSD?

Answer 7

Increased arousal, anxiety, guilt, re-experiencing trauma, dissociation, and avoidance.

Question 8

What are intrusive symptoms of PTSD?

Answer 8

Flashbacks, distressing memories, nightmares, physical reactions to trauma-related cues.

Question 9

What populations are at greater risk for PTSD?

Answer 9

Women, people with financial struggles, and those experiencing discrimination.

Question 10

What is the rate of suicide attempts among people with PTSD?

Answer 10

More than 20%.

Question 11

What are common triggers for PTSD?

Answer 11

Combat, disasters, accidents, illnesses, and victimization.

Question 12

What are some forms of victimization that can trigger PTSD?

Answer 12

Sexual assault, rape, terrorism, and torture.

Question 13

What biological factors contribute to PTSD?

Answer 13

Brain stress circuits, inherited predisposition, and overreactive stress pathways.

Question 14

What childhood experiences increase the risk of PTSD?

Answer 14

Neglect, abuse, poverty, parental conflict, and family psychological disorders.

Question 15

What cognitive and social factors contribute to PTSD?

Answer 15

Negative worldview, poor coping strategies, weak family and social support.

Question 16

What characteristics of trauma increase PTSD risk?

Answer 16

Prolonged trauma, direct exposure, intentional harm, and multiple traumas (complex PTSD).

Question 17

What therapy is considered the best intervention for PTSD?

Answer 17

Exposure-based treatment.

Question 18

What are some exposure-based treatments for PTSD?

Answer 18

In vivo exposure, virtual reality therapy, and prolonged exposure therapy.

Question 19

What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?

Answer 19

A therapy using guided eye movements to reduce PTSD symptoms.

Question 20

What are some additional PTSD treatments?

Answer 20

Cognitive processing therapy, antidepressants, mindfulness techniques, and family therapy.

Question 21

What is psychological debriefing?

Answer 21

A crisis intervention where trauma victims discuss emotions soon after an incident, though research does not support its effectiveness.

Question 22

What are dissociative disorders?

Answer 22

Disorders where a person experiences memory disruptions or detachment from reality due to trauma.

Question 23

What are the three main types of dissociative disorders?

Answer 23

Dissociative amnesia, dissociative identity disorder (DID), and depersonalization-derealization disorder.

Question 24

What is dissociative amnesia?

Answer 24

An inability to recall important life-related information, usually traumatic or stressful events.

Question 25

What is dissociative fugue?

Answer 25

A severe form of dissociative amnesia where a person travels to a new location and may assume a new identity.

Question 26

What is dissociative identity disorder (DID)?

Answer 26

A disorder where a person has two or more distinct personalities (subpersonalities).

Question 27

How common is DID?

Answer 27

It was historically considered rare, but diagnoses have increased over time.

Question 28

How do subpersonalities interact in DID?

Answer 28

They may be mutually amnesic, mutually cognizant, or have one-way amnesic relationships.

Question 29

What are differences between subpersonalities?

Answer 29

They can differ in age, gender, preferences, abilities, and physiological responses.

Question 30

What is the psychodynamic explanation for dissociative disorders?

Answer 30

They result from repression of traumatic memories and excessive dissociation.

Question 31

What is the cognitive-behavioral explanation for dissociative disorders?

Answer 31

State-dependent learning causes rigid memory recall under certain emotional states.

Question 32

What is self-hypnosis and how does it relate to dissociative disorders?

Answer 32

A process where people dissociate by mentally escaping trauma, similar to hypnotic amnesia.

Question 33

How do therapists treat dissociative amnesia?

Answer 33

Psychodynamic therapy, hypnotic therapy, and barbiturate-assisted memory retrieval.

Question 34

Why is treatment for DID complex?

Answer 34

People with DID do not recover spontaneously and require therapy to integrate subpersonalities.

Question 35

What are the three main goals of DID therapy?

Answer 35

Recognizing the disorder, recovering memory gaps, and integrating personalities.

Question 36

What is depersonalization-derealization disorder?

Answer 36

A dissociative disorder where individuals feel detached from their body or surroundings.

Question 37

What is the main symptom of depersonalization?

Answer 37

Feeling separated from one's body, as if watching oneself from the outside.

Question 38

What is the main symptom of derealization?

Answer 38

Feeling that the external world is unreal or distorted.

Question 39

What are some triggers for depersonalization-derealization disorder?

Answer 39

Severe stress, fatigue, physical pain, and substance abuse recovery.

Question 40

How do researchers currently approach trauma-related disorders?

Answer 40

They focus on memory abnormalities, brain function, and integrating treatment approaches.