Psychiatria pre prax 4/2001

Posttraumatic stress disorder – part I.: clinical view and etiology

Working with patients who have experienced traumatic events is inherently complicated. The predominant psychological effects of trauma exposure encompass a wide range of signs, symptoms, and behaviours that are subsumed under the diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD has three cardinal sets of symptoms: reexperiencing of the trauma (including memories, nightmares, and/or flashbacks), avoidance of internal and external cues associated with the trauma, and increased arousal (including insomnia, irritability, impaired concentration, and hypervigilance). Difficulties for survivors of trauma often extend beyond strictly psychological issues; the biological sequelae of trauma include biochemical and perhaps structural changes in the brain; the social sequelae of trauma include isolation, increased interpersonal conflicts, feelings of detachment, and generally poor occupational and social functioning.

Keywords: posttraumatic stress disorder, clinical view, etiology, course, differential dignosis.