traumatic stressors in post traumatic stress disorder

Last reviewed 01/2018

Traumatic stressors

Both the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) has defined traumatic stressors:

• ICD-10 describes it as 'a stressful event or situation of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic in nature, which is likely to cause pervasive distress in almost anyone' (1)
• DSM-IV describes it as events which are experienced, witnessed, or been confronted by individuals involving actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others. The person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror when the event occurred (2)

Both natural and human-made traumatic events are capable of evoking PTSD symptoms (2). Some typical traumatic events include:

• serious accidents
• military combat
• violent personal assault (sexual assault, physical attack, abuse, robbery, mugging)
• being taken hostage
• terrorist attack
• being a prisoner-of-war
• natural or man-made disasters
• being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness (3)

Reference:

• 1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. Adult psychiatric morbidity in England, 2007. Results of a household survey.
• 2. Ursano RJ et al. Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(11 Suppl):3-31
• 3. The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2010.Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).