Post-traumatic stress disorder is a valid and useful diagnosis

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a valid and useful diagnosis but it is not the only psychiatric response to trauma. The disorder is associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity and impaired social and occupational functioning and has a prevalence of 1%-7.8% in the general population. Mezey and Robbins (p 561) argue that the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder is important for both patients and doctors and that it can be differentiated from other psychiatric diagnoses by biochemical, neuroanatomical, and phenomenological characteristics. Any concerns about the diagnosis in victims of chronic and lifelong trauma could be resolved by further refining the diagnostic criteria.

(Credit: SUE SHARPLES)

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Relevant Article

Usefulness and validity of post-traumatic stress disorder as a psychiatric category

Gillian Mezey and Ian Robbins
BMJ 2001 323: 561-563. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]