PSYC 3406 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Natural Disaster, Nocturnal Enuresis, Plat
6 Jun 2018
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Midterm review next friday
Midterm Oct. 10
Overview
● Anxiety disorder that a person may develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma →
fear, helplessness, horror
● Emotional numbing, hyperarousal, reexperiencing the trauma
● Anxiety disorder
● Enduring changes that create senses of panic and irrational fears and phobias, can
impair daily routines
● Must be ruled out when diagnosing PTSD:
○ Acute stress disorder
○ Adjustment disorder
○ Mood or other anxiety disorder
○ Other disorders with intrusive thoughts or perceptual disturbances
○ Substance abuse or dependence disorder
○ Malingerers → people who falsely claim to be traumatized, sometimes feign
PTSD symptoms in order to get court money
Criterion for PTSD
● Exposed to a traumatic event where:
○ Has experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with an event that involve actual
or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of
oneself or others
○ The person’s response involves intense fear, helplessness, or horror (In children
may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behavior)
Symptoms of PTSD in 3 Groups
● Intrusive elements
○ Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event
○ Recurrent dreams of the event
○ Sudden acting or feeling if the event were recurring
○ Intense psychological distress at exposure to symbols of even (anniversaries)
○ Physiological response
○ At least one of these present for PTSD
● Avoidance features
○ Efforts to avoid thoughts or feelings associated with trauma
○ Avoid activities, places, people, situation that arouse recollection
○ Inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma (psychological amnesia)
○ Markedly diminish interest in significant activities
○ Feelings of detachment or estrangement from others (thwarted belongingness)
○ Restricted range of affect-unable to have loving feelings
○ Sense of foreshortened future- does not expect to have career, marriage,
children, or normal lifespan (dread)
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○ At least three for PTSD
○ Thwarted belongingness is predictor of suicidality
● Persistent Symptoms of Increased Arousal (not present before trauma)
○ Difficulty falling/staying asleep
○ Irritability or outbursts of anger-irritability can progress to rage
○ Difficulty concentrating
○ hypervigilance - resembles frank paranoia
○ Exaggerated startled response
○ At least two for PTSD
Recap
● 1 re-experiencing
● 3 avoidance
● 2 increased arousal
● Present at least 1 month and cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social,
occupational, and other areas of functioning
Types of PTSD
● Acute - symptoms less than three months
● Chronic - symptoms more than three months
● Although symptoms usually begin within three months of exposure, a delayed onset is
possible months or even years after the event has occurred
Diagnosis of PTSD
● No lab tests, to diagnose a healthcare provider will consider the symptoms together with
history of trauma. Will likely use different psych assessments to confirm diagnosis and
involve specialist
● Although it may be tempting to diagnose yourself, the diagnosis should be made by a
professional. Usually involves formal evaluation.
Age of Onset and Cultural Features
● Can occur at any age and can affect anyone
● Recent immigrants from social unrest and civil conflict may have elevated levels of
PTSD
● No evidence that different ethnicities or minorities are more or less susceptible
Onset
● Symptoms usually within first 3 months after trauma or may be delay
● Immediate onset
○ Better response to treatment
○ Better prognosis
○ Fewer symptoms
○ Resolved in 6 months
● Delayed onset
○ Onset at least 6 months after
○ Associated symptoms and conditions develop
○ More likely to be chronic
○ Repressed memories
Course
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Anxiety disorder that a person may develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma fear, helplessness, horror. Enduring changes that create senses of panic and irrational fears and phobias, can impair daily routines. Must be ruled out when diagnosing ptsd: Other disorders with intrusive thoughts or perceptual disturbances. Malingerers people who falsely claim to be traumatized, sometimes feign. Ptsd symptoms in order to get court money. Has experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with an event that involve actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others. The person"s response involves intense fear, helplessness, or horror (in children may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behavior) Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event. Sudden acting or feeling if the event were recurring. At least one of these present for ptsd. Intense psychological distress at exposure to symbols of even (anniversaries) Inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma (psychological amnesia)
