Trauma- and stress-related disorders: Pathology review
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Trauma- and stress-related disorders: Pathology review
Psychological disorders
Mood disorders
Major depressive disorder
Suicide
Bipolar disorder
Seasonal affective disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Anxiety disorders
Generalized anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Agoraphobia
Phobias
Obsessive-compulsive disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Body focused repetitive disorders
Body dysmorphic disorder
Stress-related disorders and abuse
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Physical and sexual abuse
Psychotic disorders
Schizoaffective disorder
Schizophreniform disorder
Delusional disorder
Schizophrenia
Cognitive and dissociative disorders
Delirium
Amnesia
Dissociative disorders
Eating disorders
Anorexia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Personality disorders
Cluster A personality disorders
Cluster B personality disorders
Cluster C personality disorders
Somatoform and factitious disorders
Somatic symptom disorder
Factitious disorder
Substance use disorders and drugs of abuse
Tobacco dependence
Opioid dependence
Cannabis dependence
Cocaine dependence
Alcohol use disorder
Sleep disorders
Bruxism
Nocturnal enuresis
Insomnia
Night terrors
Narcolepsy (NORD)
Sexual dysfunction disorders
Erectile dysfunction
Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Orgasmic dysfunction
Female sexual interest and arousal disorder
Genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder
Pediatric disorders
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders
Learning disability
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Tourette syndrome
Autism spectrum disorder
Rett syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome
Enuresis
Encopresis
Psychiatric emergencies
Suicide
Serotonin syndrome
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Psychological disorders review
Mood disorders: Pathology review
Amnesia, dissociative disorders and delirium: Pathology review
Personality disorders: Pathology review
Eating disorders: Pathology review
Psychological sleep disorders: Pathology review
Psychiatric emergencies: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Hallucinogens: Pathology review
Malingering, factitious disorders and somatoform disorders: Pathology review
Anxiety disorders, phobias and stress-related disorders: Pathology Review
Trauma- and stress-related disorders: Pathology review
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Stimulants: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Alcohol: Pathology review
Developmental and learning disorders: Pathology review
Childhood and early-onset psychological disorders: Pathology review
Assessments
Trauma- and stress-related disorders: Pathology review
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Transcript
Content Reviewers
Antonella Melani, MDContributors
Antonia Syrnioti, MD
Kaylee Neff
Alaina Mueller
Abbey Richard, BFA
A 31 year old female named Amelia comes to the mental health clinic complaining of trouble sleeping due to vivid nightmares recounting an armed bank robbery she witnessed 4 months ago.
Ever since that event, she has avoided going to crowded places that remind her of the bank, to the point where she had to give up her job at the mall.
Suddenly, your phone starts ringing and Amelia jumps from her seat. You apologize, and she then mentions that this happens whenever she hears sudden or loud noises.
Okay, based on the initial presentation, Amelia seems to have some form of trauma or stress-related disorder.
Many individuals at some point in their lives experience trauma, which can be thought of as a distressing event that causes an overwhelming amount of stress, exceeding one’s ability to cope or process the emotions caused by that experience.
Trauma can be caused by one single event, such as a serious car crash or sexual assault or abuse; or can last for a more prolonged period of time, such as experiencing poverty, neglect during early childhood, or military combat.
Most of the time, with support from loved ones, individuals are able to recover from a traumatic experience.
Unfortunately, some individuals may develop trauma and stress-related disorders, where traumatic experiences lead to symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety, all of which can interfere with day-to-day activities like working, studying, eating, and sleeping.
Now, the underlying cause of trauma and stress-related disorders is poorly understood; but what you need to remember is that individuals affected usually have altered levels and response to stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
For your exams, the most high-yield trauma and stress-related disorders are post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, and adjustment disorder. Okay, let’s start with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short.
This usually occurs in individuals who have either directly experienced a traumatic event or witnessed as it happened to others, but it can also affect someone who just heard that a close family member or friend was involved.
Summary
Trauma- and stress-related disorders are a group of mental health conditions that can occur as a result of exposure to traumatic or stressful events. This group of disorders includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder, adjustment disorders, and reactive attachment disorder.
Both PTSD and acute stress disorder can affect individuals who have experienced prolonged traumatic events, especially involving a close family member or friend. Symptoms include recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive memories associated with nightmares or flashbacks; as well as intense psychological distress or physical reactions. People with these two disorders can also present with hypervigilance or hyperarousal; avoidance behavior; and negative alterations in thinking or mood. What differentiates PTSD from acute stress disorder is that in PTSD, the symptoms must last for more than one month, while in acute stress disorder, they should last at least three days but less than one month following the traumatic event.
Next, we have adjustment disorder, which is characterized by emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressor or life change. Symptoms typically develop within three months of a stressful or life-changing event and resolve within six months. There is also reactive attachment disorder, which typically affects infants or young children who don't get attached to their caregivers. The symptoms appear following the lack of adequate care or negligence and are often evident in young children between the age of nine months and five years. Treatment of trauma and stress-related disorders typically includes cognitive behavioral therapy and lifestyle changes. It can also involve medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" NA (1980)
- "Post-traumatic stress disorder" BMJ (2015)
- "Suicidality and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis" Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2014)
- "Current status on behavioral and biological markers of PTSD: A search for clarity in a conflicting literature" Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2013)
- "Wilderness and Rescue Medicine" Jones & Bartlett Publishers (2012)
- "Adjustment disorder as proposed for ICD-11: Dimensionality and symptom differentiation" Psychiatry Research (2015)
- "Adjustment Disorder: Current Developments and Future Directions" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2019)
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