This article was first published on June 29, 2022. It was last reviewed/ updated on June 15, 2023.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric or mental disorder that occurs in some people who have either experienced or witnessed a very traumatic event.
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (2013) elaborates on the kinds of traumatic events that may lead to the development of PTSD. Each of these may be either actual OR threatened.
1. Death (for example, in war, in a natural disaster)
Note: In diagnosing PTSD, a life-threatening illness is not necessarily considered a traumatic event.
2. Sexual violence (for example, forced sexual penetration, sexual penetration while intoxicated, sexual abuse with or without physical contact)
Note: For children, developmentally inappropriate sexual experiences even without physical violence may constitute sexual violence.
3. Serious injury (for example, severe physical abuse as a child, being physically assaulted, severe motor vehicle accidents).
Note: A serious medical incident is not necessarily considered a traumatic incident. Only sudden, catastrophic medical events are considered traumatic events, for example, waking during surgery, or anaphylactic shock.
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References
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
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