Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Abstract

Most people experience at least one traumatic event during the course of their lifetime. Although research indicates that up to 80% of those exposed to traumatic events will be at increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), only a small, yet significant, number will actually go on to develop the disorder (Birur, Moore, & Davis, 2017). Moreover, those who don’t eventually meet full diagnostic criteria for PTSD will often develop a partial, also called subsyndromal or subthreshold, presentation of PTSD symptoms (Cukor, Wyka, Jayasinghe, & Difede, 2010). Despite not meeting full criteria for PTSD, partial symptoms can significantly impair function and adversely affect quality of life (Cukor et al., 2010). In addition to PTSD, there are two other trauma and stress-related disorders for adults that are included in the Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders category of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Mental health professionals are likely to encounter people who have experienced traumatic events. Therefore, clinicians should be knowledgeable and skilled in diagnosing, assessing, and treating trauma and other stress-related disorders. This section will review the core definitions, criteria, and prevalence of each of these disorders