The Current Prevalence of PTSD in the United States - Research Paper Example

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Introduction Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that was first officially identified in the year 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association when it was published in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The proper diagnosis of PTSD in the United States was achieved in the years following 1970. This was because the cases of PTSD increased in those years because a large number of soldiers returned back from the Vietnam War and exhibited the symptoms of the condition. This led to a proper understanding of the disorder (Krippner et al 10). The current prevalence of PTSD in the United States as presented by The National Comorbidity Survey Replication is approximately 6.8 percent in the adult population. The annual prevalence of the condition is 3.5 percent. It has also been assessed that the prevalence in females is twice as compared to that in males. PTSD is a condition which is linked with other comorbid psychiatric conditions like major depressive disorder, social phobia and bipolar disorder. The National Comorbidity Survey has also presented that secondary psychiatric conditions may also result due to PTSD which include mood disorders or indulgence in substance abuse. PTSD not only affects the mental functioning of an individual but it also tends to raise the risk of pathological conditions like congestive cardiac pathologies as well as hypertension, renal and hepatic disorders. (Ivanova 314). Causes The main etiological factor for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is considered to be a traumatic encounter which affects the individual psychologically (Walsh 65). This leads to the development of the three main symptoms of the condition which include “terror, shame and helplessness.” (Krippner 11). It needs to be understood that not all individuals who are exposed to traumatic events develop PTSD. A study conducted to review the causes of PTSD revealed that traumatic experiences like sexual assault and physical abuse made an individual more prone to develop PTSD. But other factors like genetics, the personality of an individual, educational qualifications as well as social assistance also play a role and make certain individuals more susceptible whereas protect others from developing this condition (Ford 56). Psychological trauma can occur due to many reasons which include combat, accidents, sexual assault, physical and sexual abuse. In the year 2005, the Royal College of Psychiatrists explained that PTSD may occur due to various reasons. These included army combats, terrorist attacks, road traffic accidents, disasters which maybe either natural or man-made or being assaulted physically and sexually. Prisoners of war and hostages were also prone to develop PTSD (Walsh 65). A research conducted by Hapke and his colleagues put forward the fact that individuals suffering from anxiety, depression or somatoform pathologies had a greater risk of developing PTSD. They also concluded that the reason behind the higher rates of women suffering from PTSD was due to the fact that a greater number of females suffer from anxiety and depressive conditions and also because they are exposed to more physical and sexual traumatic events as compared to males (Hapke 299). Effects For a patient to be classified as suffering from PTSD, it is essential that he or she has come across a traumatic occurrence and that the individual responds by “fear, helplessness or horror” to the trauma. Also, he needs to have symptoms for at least one month and he should be having problems in his day to day life including issues with his social and occupational functioning. The effects of PTSD are categorized into three categories according to the DSM IV criteria. These are: “Re-experiencing phenomena”, “Avoidance and Numbing” and “Increased Arousal.” (Bisson 399) The symptoms under the category of “Re-experiencing Phenomena” include constant and disturbing remembrance of the traumatic event which intrudes the thoughts of an individual. Troubling regular dreams of the occurrence are also a symptom. The patient may also feel and react as if the event is occurring again. The symptoms categorized as “Avoidance and Numbing” are social withdrawal and lack of participation in activities of interest. The patient may feel disconnected from others and present with “psychogenic amnesia.” Other symptoms include avoiding engagement in conversations. The patient may also have symptoms due to “Increased Arousal.” These include problems in sleeping, inability to concentrate, anger, “exaggerated startle response” and “hypervigilance”(Bisson 399). Treatment Strategies PTSD is treated by using a multidimensional approach. The treatments available for the disorder include pharmacological treatments as well as behavioral, cognitive and psychodynamic therapies. Group and family support is also considered to be an important form of treatment. Pharmacological treatment for PTSD includes tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and mood stabilizers like lithium and sodium valproate. The cognitive and behavioral therapy of the condition is done by educating the patient regarding their condition, relaxing them, exposing them in vivo as well as in imagination to the event as well stabilizing their thinking and cognition (Bisson 401; Shalev et al 166,172). PTSD is a condition which requires a combined treatment approach. Pharmacological therapy alone is not significant and different forms of pharmacological therapy produce different results. For example, antidepressants assist in relieving the symptoms of anxiety, depression and sleeplessness. On the other hand, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are effective in overcoming “intrusion and avoidance” (Shalev et al 166, 169). Cognitive, behavioral and group therapies have revealed promising results. (Shalev et al 171,172; Bisson 401) Thus, a combined management plan should be devised for effective results in the patients of PTSD. Effective treatment modalities exist for assisting the patients of PTSD. PTSD is a condition which can be managed and cured with proper therapies. It is argued that PTSD is never completely cured but the condition is just managed with the assistance of therapies by the individual (Coutta np). It needs to be understood that PTSD cannot be cured immediately but its treatment takes time and the individual needs time to overcome the trauma. The condition is totally cured (Nelson 22). But recurrence of the disease in old age is also a possibility (Mellow 17). Conclusion Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a psychiatric disorder which was officially recognized and understood properly in the late twentieth century. The disorder results mainly following a traumatic incident and women are more likely to suffer from this condition. It may be associated with psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety as well as physiological problems including hypertension and cardiac diseases. It affects the daily life activities of an individual and leads to social and occupational problems. The management of the disorder revolves around a combined approach including pharmacological, behavioral, and cognitive as well as group therapies. Read More