Download Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Kisha Adderley
IT 2010, Georgia State University
April 8, 2013
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe type of
anxiety.
• It may be seen in war veterans, survivors of physical and sexual
assault in addition to many others.
• It tends to develop in some people after an event that resulted
in psychological trauma, physical trauma or a combination of
both (combat, crime, involvement in an accident, disaster).
• According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• 3.5% of the US adult population is affected by PTSD.
• 36.6% of these cases; approximately 1.3% of the U.S. adult population is
classified as severe where they have trouble working or socializing.
• The average age-of-onset is about 23-years old.
• According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH),
symptoms of PTSD encompass three main categories:
• Re-experiencing is marked by reliving the trauma with nightmares and
upsetting thoughts.
• Avoidance of the stimuli includes evading certain thought or talking about
the event.
• Hyper-arousal is defined as an “excessive arousal” or an active startle
response. This heightened state may also cause problems with sleeping
and eating.
• Tools available for the detection of PTSD:
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The Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS)
The Beck Anxiety Inventory - Primary Care (BAI-PC)
The PTSD Checklist (PCL)
The Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD)
• People who have positive screening results with these
assessments should then be evaluated with a structured
interview and monitored closely by a specialist.
• If a problem is identified, the main treatments for individuals
with PTSD are psychotherapy, medications, or both.
• Psychotherapy involves speaking with a mental health professional. It is a
way to treat patients by helping them understand their disorder.
• Approved medications for the treatment of adults with PTSD include
Antidepressants such as Zoloft and Paxil. They may be useful to control
PTSD symptoms such as sadness, worry, anger, and feeling numb inside.
Mental illnesses have a major impact on those directly affected
and everyone in their lives. When they are left without treatment,
the consequences can be severe so early detection and treatment
is vital to prevent escalation and lead to better outcomes.
American Psychological Association (2011). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/topics/ptsd/index.aspx
Dunphy, L.M., & Winland-Brown, J.E. (2011). Primary care: The art and sciences of advanced practice nursing.
Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company (p 1024).
Hyperarousal. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam
webster.com/medical/hyperarousal
Jaffe, S., & Schub, T. (2012). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Cinahl Information Systems.
National Institute of Mental Health (2010). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml
United States Department of Veterans Affairs (2007). PTSD History and Overview. Retrieved
from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/ptsd-overview.asp
Wisco, B., Marx, B., & Keane, T. (2012). Screening, diagnosis, and treatment of post-traumatic
stress disorder. Military Medicine, 177(8 Suppl), 7-13.
World Health Organization (2010). Mental health: strengthening our response. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en/