Post traumatic Stress Disorder in the United States
Johannes Oster
10/28/12
Community Health I
Essay I
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the United States: Predictors, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that occurs in individuals exposed to traumatic events. Traumatic events are defined as ones involving death, serious injury, or the threat of death1. These include, but are not limited to, combat experiences, sexual and physical assault, accidents, and natural disasters2. In this paper, I will explore the factors that contribute to PTSD, and present a program designed to ameliorate the disorder’s effects through the use of community engagement, early intervention, and therapy.
Given the wide array of triggers for the development of PTSD, numerous demographics are affected by the disorder. According to the National Comorbidity Survey, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the U.S. adult population is about 7.8%, with 5.0% of men and 10.4% of women afflicted with the disorder3. These data reveal that women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD in their lifetime, suggesting that women may have more risk factors than men in developing the disease.
Other estimates claim that 12% of U.S. adults have PTSD, but that war veterans from Vietnam have a lifetime prevalence of 30%, revealing increased prevalence among those consistently exposed to trauma, such as in combat. Former prisoners of war have an even higher prevalence, with an estimated 60% suffering from PTSD4. Furthermore, those who suffered kidnapping or torture acquire PTSD in 50.8% of cases5. In addition, studies show that delayed-onset PTSD, characterized by symptoms that arise over 6 months after exposure to trauma, is increasingly frequent among retired war veterans6.
Due to its relatively recent inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980, PTSD is difficult to compare across time, though symptoms were apparent in the “shell shock” experienced by World War I soldiers,
10/28/12
Community Health I
Essay I
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the United States: Predictors, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that occurs in individuals exposed to traumatic events. Traumatic events are defined as ones involving death, serious injury, or the threat of death1. These include, but are not limited to, combat experiences, sexual and physical assault, accidents, and natural disasters2. In this paper, I will explore the factors that contribute to PTSD, and present a program designed to ameliorate the disorder’s effects through the use of community engagement, early intervention, and therapy.
Given the wide array of triggers for the development of PTSD, numerous demographics are affected by the disorder. According to the National Comorbidity Survey, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the U.S. adult population is about 7.8%, with 5.0% of men and 10.4% of women afflicted with the disorder3. These data reveal that women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD in their lifetime, suggesting that women may have more risk factors than men in developing the disease.
Other estimates claim that 12% of U.S. adults have PTSD, but that war veterans from Vietnam have a lifetime prevalence of 30%, revealing increased prevalence among those consistently exposed to trauma, such as in combat. Former prisoners of war have an even higher prevalence, with an estimated 60% suffering from PTSD4. Furthermore, those who suffered kidnapping or torture acquire PTSD in 50.8% of cases5. In addition, studies show that delayed-onset PTSD, characterized by symptoms that arise over 6 months after exposure to trauma, is increasingly frequent among retired war veterans6.
Due to its relatively recent inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980, PTSD is difficult to compare across time, though symptoms were apparent in the “shell shock” experienced by World War I soldiers,