Trauma & Stressor Related Disorders (Intro Psych Tutorial #229)

Summary

In this video, Michael Corayer explores trauma and stressor-related disorders in the DSM-5, focusing on PTSD. He explains that PTSD involves intrusive memories of trauma, typically emerging 3 months post-event, and is more common in those exposed to severe stress like military veterans and first responders. The video also touches on acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and the increased risk of suicide in those diagnosed with these conditions.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses trauma and stressor-related disorders in the DSM-5, focusing on PTSD.
• 🌟 PTSD is characterized by involuntary and intrusive memories of traumatic events, typically emerging about 3 months post-event.
• 👥 For a PTSD diagnosis, the patient must have firsthand experience with the traumatic stressors.
• 🎥 Flashbacks are a key symptom where individuals feel as if they are re-experiencing the traumatic event.
• 🏃 Behavioral symptoms of PTSD include avoidance of stimuli related to the trauma.
• 🔊 Somatic symptoms involve a heightened startle response, a physiological reaction to being startled.
• 🧠 Cognitive symptoms in PTSD manifest as negative beliefs and distorted cognitions, sometimes with catastrophizing thoughts.
• 📊 The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is about 8%, with a 12-month prevalence of 3.5%.
• 👮‍♂️ Higher prevalence rates are found among military veterans, first responders, and victims of crimes or assaults.
• 🤝 PTSD often co-occurs with other disorders, with about 80% of diagnosed individuals meeting criteria for another condition.
• ⏳ Acute stress disorder is a related condition focusing on short-term effects of trauma, with symptoms like depersonalization and guilt.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to review trauma and stressor-related disorders in the DSM-5, with a particular emphasis on PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

What is PTSD and what are its key symptoms?

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Key symptoms include recurrent involuntary and intrusive memories of the event, often manifesting as flashbacks, avoidance of related stimuli, heightened startle response, and negative beliefs or distorted cognitions.

Why is firsthand exposure to a traumatic event important for a PTSD diagnosis?

Firsthand exposure to a traumatic event is crucial for a PTSD diagnosis because the disorder is directly linked to the individual's personal experience of trauma. Intrusive memories about events like TV shows, movies, or video games do not qualify for PTSD diagnosis.

How soon after a traumatic event do PTSD symptoms typically emerge?

PTSD symptoms often emerge about 3 months following the traumatic event, although the timing can vary.

What is the difference between flashbacks and recalling a traumatic event?

Flashbacks involve the person feeling as if they are re-experiencing the event, as if it is happening again, which is distinct from simply recalling or thinking about the event or ruminating over its details.

Which groups have a higher prevalence of PTSD?

The prevalence of PTSD is higher in groups such as military veterans, firefighters, police officers, first responders, medical personnel, and victims of crimes including rape, assault, and captivity.

Is PTSD diagnosed more in males or females?

Contrary to the stereotype that PTSD is more common among military veterans who are often male, more females receive a diagnosis of PTSD than males.

What is the estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD?

The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD is about 8%, with a 12-month prevalence of 3.5%, meaning approximately 3.5% of the population suffers from this disorder over the course of a year.

What is comorbidity in PTSD?

Comorbidity in PTSD refers to the high likelihood that individuals diagnosed with PTSD also meet the criteria for another disorder, with about 80% of patients having an additional condition such as a depressive disorder, an anxiety disorder, or a substance abuse disorder.

What is Acute Stress Disorder and how does it differ from PTSD?

Acute Stress Disorder focuses on the short-term effects of a traumatic event, occurring within a month of the event, and involves symptoms such as feelings of depersonalization and guilt. It differs from PTSD, which considers the long-term effects of exposure to a traumatic event or stressful situation.

What is Adjustment Disorder and how is it related to stress?

Adjustment Disorder is diagnosed when a person's symptoms and distress caused by a stressful life event are considered out of proportion with the stressor and cause impairments in social or occupational functioning. It can be triggered by less serious stressful events like breakups, divorce, occupational problems, natural disasters, or retirement.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Understanding PTSD and Its Impact

In the first paragraph, Michael Corayer introduces the topic of trauma and stressor-related disorders, focusing on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He clarifies that PTSD involves intrusive memories of traumatic events that the patient has directly experienced, distinguishing it from indirect exposure like watching a movie. Symptoms typically emerge around three months post-event and can manifest as flashbacks, where individuals feel they are re-experiencing the trauma. Behavioral symptoms include avoidance of stimuli related to the event, while somatic symptoms involve a heightened startle response. Cognitive symptoms may present as negative beliefs and distorted cognitions, sometimes with patients catastrophizing their condition. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is about 8%, with a 12-month prevalence of 3.5%. Higher rates are found among military veterans, first responders, and victims of crimes, with females slightly more diagnosed than males. Comorbidity is common, with about 80% of PTSD patients also meeting criteria for another disorder, often depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. The paragraph also touches on acute stress disorder, which deals with short-term effects of trauma, characterized by depersonalization and guilt within a month of the event, with varying prevalence rates depending on the nature of the trauma.

05:01

📈 Adjusting to Stress: Disorders and Suicide Risk

The second paragraph delves into the less severe but still impactful stressors in life, such as breakups, occupational issues, and natural disasters, which can lead to adjustment disorder. This disorder is diagnosed when an individual's response to a stressor is out of proportion, causing significant impairments in social or occupational functioning. It is notably common following serious medical diagnoses, with an increased risk of suicide associated. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content by liking and subscribing, summarizing the discussion on trauma and stressor-related disorders and their various manifestations in different populations.

Keywords

💡PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It is characterized by intrusive memories, flashbacks, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and heightened startle response. In the video, PTSD is discussed as a disorder that requires firsthand exposure to traumatic events, distinguishing it from reactions to fictional scenarios like movies or video games. The script mentions flashbacks as a key symptom, where individuals feel as if they are re-experiencing the event, which is a central theme in understanding PTSD.

💡Intrusive memories

Intrusive memories are unwanted, involuntary recollections of a distressing or traumatic event that can cause significant distress. They are a hallmark symptom of PTSD, as highlighted in the video script, where they are described as recurrent and involuntary, often leading to significant emotional distress. The script emphasizes that these memories must be related to firsthand traumatic experiences to be considered in a PTSD diagnosis.

💡Flashbacks

Flashbacks are a symptom of PTSD where individuals feel as though they are reliving the traumatic event, even though it is not actually happening. The video script uses the example of a military veteran who might suddenly feel as if they are back on the battlefield while in a different, everyday situation. Flashbacks are a critical concept in understanding the re-experiencing aspect of PTSD.

💡Avoidance

Avoidance behavior in the context of PTSD refers to the tendency of individuals to stay away from situations, people, or objects that remind them of the traumatic event. The script explains this as a behavioral symptom where the individual actively tries to avoid anything that could trigger memories of the trauma, which is a common coping mechanism but can also impede recovery.

💡Startle response

A heightened startle response is a somatic symptom observed in individuals with PTSD, where they exhibit an exaggerated physical reaction to sudden noises or movements. The video script describes this as a physiological change, indicating that people with PTSD are more reactive to being startled, which can contribute to their overall hypervigilance and anxiety.

💡Cognitive symptoms

Cognitive symptoms in PTSD include negative beliefs and distorted cognitions about oneself or the world. The script mentions an example where a patient might say 'my nervous system has been destroyed,' which is an exaggeration or catastrophizing of their condition. These symptoms are important for understanding the psychological impact of PTSD beyond the emotional and physical reactions.

💡Lifetime prevalence

Lifetime prevalence refers to the percentage of individuals who will experience a particular disorder at some point in their lifetime. The video script provides statistics, indicating that the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is about 8%, while the 12-month prevalence is 3.5%. These figures help to contextualize how common PTSD is within the general population.

💡Comorbidity

Comorbidity in the context of PTSD means the co-occurrence of two or more disorders in an individual. The script states that about 80% of patients with PTSD also meet the criteria for another disorder, often a depressive, anxiety, or substance abuse disorder. Understanding comorbidity is crucial for comprehensive treatment planning and recognizing the complexity of PTSD.

💡Acute stress disorder

Acute stress disorder is a psychological condition that can develop following a traumatic event and is characterized by symptoms such as depersonalization and guilt. The video script contrasts this with PTSD, noting that acute stress disorder focuses on the short-term effects within a month of the event. This keyword is important for understanding the spectrum of trauma-related disorders and their temporal dynamics.

💡Adjustment disorder

Adjustment disorder is a psychological condition where an individual experiences significant distress or impairment in functioning as a result of a stressful life event that is considered to be out of proportion to the stressor. The script mentions that this can occur in response to events like breakups, divorce, or serious medical diagnoses, and it can lead to impairments in social or occupational functioning. This keyword is relevant for understanding how normal life stressors can sometimes lead to diagnosable mental health conditions.

💡Stressors

Stressors are events or circumstances that cause stress or tension. In the video, stressors are discussed in the context of their role in triggering various trauma and stressor-related disorders, including PTSD and adjustment disorder. The script explains how different types of stressors, such as traumatic events or significant life changes, can lead to mental health conditions, emphasizing the importance of understanding the relationship between stress and mental health.

Highlights

Introduction to trauma and stressor-related disorders in the DSM-5.

Discussion on PTSD, including its main symptom of recurrent involuntary memories.

Emphasis on the requirement for firsthand exposure to stressors for PTSD diagnosis.

Description of PTSD symptoms emerging about 3 months post-trauma.

Explanation of flashbacks as a PTSD symptom.

Avoidance of stimuli associated with trauma as a behavioral symptom.

Mention of heightened startle response as a somatic symptom in PTSD.

Cognitive symptoms in PTSD, including negative beliefs and distorted cognitions.

Lifetime prevalence of PTSD is about 8%, with a 12-month prevalence of 3.5%.

Higher prevalence of PTSD among military veterans, first responders, and victims of crimes.

More females receive a PTSD diagnosis than males, contrary to common stereotypes.

Comorbidity in PTSD, with 80% of patients also meeting criteria for another disorder.

Introduction to acute stress disorder, focusing on short-term effects of trauma.

Prevalence rates of acute stress disorder vary depending on the type of traumatic event.

Discussion on less serious stressful events that can lead to adjustment disorder.

Adjustment disorder diagnosed when stressor-related symptoms are out of proportion.

Increased risk of suicide associated with adjustment disorder.

Conclusion and call to action for viewers to like and subscribe for more content.

Transcripts

Hi, I'm Michael Corayer and this is Psych Exam  Review. In this video we're going to look at the  

category of trauma and stressor related disorders  in the DSM-5. And we'll start by looking at PTSD  

or post-traumatic stress disorder and this is  a disorder that I've talked about in a previous  

video, so I'll post a link to that video in the  description. Now one of the main symptoms that we  

see in PTSD is recurrent involuntary and intrusive  memories of traumatic events. Now it's important  

that in the diagnosis of PTSD the patient has  firsthand exposure or experience with these  

stressors. So if you have intrusive memories about  a TV show that you watched or a movie you saw or  

a video game that you've played, this wouldn't  be considered towards diagnosis of PTSD. These  

symptoms often emerge about 3 months following the  traumatic event and one way that this can occur is  

via what are called flashbacks. So this refers to  the person feeling like they are experiencing the  

event again it's happening again or they're  reliving it. And so this is different from  

just recalling the event or thinking about it or  ruminating over certain details of the event. The  

person actually feels that it's happening again  and this is often portrayed in popular culture in  

the form of a military veteran who suddenly feels  he's back on the battlefield when he's actually in  

a more mundane circumstance. Now other symptoms  that we see, we see a behavioral symptom which  

is avoidance of related stimuli so situations or  people or objects that remind the person of this  

traumatic event are avoided. And we also see a  somatic symptom of a heightened startle response,  

so this is refers to a physiological change in  the person's reactivity to being startled. And  

we also see cognitive symptoms and these include  negative beliefs and distorted cognitions and  

this distortion sometimes occurs in the form of  the patient's saying something like "my nervous  

system has been destroyed". Alright so this is  sort of exaggeration or catastrophizing of certain  

cognitions or beliefs and the estimated lifetime  prevalence of PTSD it's about 8% with a 12-month  

estimated prevalence of 3.5% and again that means  over the course of a year you'll see about 3.5%  

percent of the population is suffering from this  disorder. Now of course the prevalence is going to  

be higher in some groups and these groups include  military veterans, firefighters, police officers,  

and first responders or other medical personnel  who are more likely to be exposed to traumatic or  

very stressful events. But we also see in victims  of crimes, victims of rape, assault, combat,  

or captivity and there's sort of a stereotype  that PTSD is associated with military veterans  

and therefore it's often thought of as something  that would mostly affect males. But it's actually  

the case that there are more females who receive  a diagnosis of PTSD than males and we also see  

comorbidity in PTSD. About 80% of patients who've  been diagnosed with PTSD also meet the criteria  

for another disorder and that other disorder is  often a depressive disorder, an anxiety disorder,  

or a substance abuse disorder. Now in the case  of PTSD we're mostly thinking about the long-term  

effects of exposure to a traumatic event or  a stressful situation but of course we also  

have shorter term effects and this brings us to  another disorder which is acute stress disorder.  

So this is more focused on the short-term effects  of a traumatic event and this focuses on symptoms  

of feelings of depersonalization and guilt  following a traumatic event. And these occur  

within a month of the event and of course  the prevalence varies by event. So people  

who experienced a serious vehicular accident  about 13-21% of those people will experience  

feelings of guilt and depersonalization after  the event. In the case of industrial accidents  

it's estimated to be about 6-12% of people who've  had that experience. And then in the case of rape,  

assault, or mass shootings we see about 20-50%  of people would meet the criteria for a diagnosis  

of acute stress disorder. Of course we  also have less serious stressful events,  

we have things like breakups, divorce,  occupational problems, natural disasters,  

and even things like retirement that involve  lifestyle changes and these can be stressful  

for people and they may actually cause some  symptoms and distress. And this can lead to  

diagnosis of what's called adjustment disorder and  this is where these symptoms and the distress the  

person is experiencing because of this stressful  life event is considered to be out of proportion  

with the stressor, and it's causing impairments  in the person's social functioning or in their  

occupational function. And this can then lead to  this diagnosis of adjustment disorder. This is  

actually fairly common in response to serious  medical diagnoses. So if people are receiving  

a diagnosis of a terminal illness, cancer, or  brain tumor, or HIV, some very serious medical  

diagnosis, the person is likely to meet the  criteria for this adjustment disorder. And  

this also carries with it an increased risk  of suicide for these patients. Okay so those  

are some disorders in this category of trauma and  stressor related disorders. I hope you found this  

helpful if so please like the video and subscribe  to the channel for more. Thanks for watching!

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