top of page

WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)?

WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?

Symptoms and signs of PTSD fall under the following four types:

  1. Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event.

  2. Avoidance of people, places, activities, objects, or situations that are reminders of the traumatic event or avoiding remembering, talking, or thinking about the traumatic event.

  3. Alterations in cognitions and mood, including being unable to remember important aspects of the traumatic event; negative thoughts and feelings about oneself or others (e.g., “I am bad/no good,” “No one can be trusted”); feelings of anger, guilt or shame; a loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed; and feeling detached or estranged from others.

  4. Changes in arousal and reactivity, including being easily irritated, experiencing angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive manner; being hypervigilant or easily startled; or having difficulties concentrating or sleeping.

PTSD TREATMENT

- PTSD is typically treated using psychotherapy or medications.

- Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, includes cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

- Medications such as antidepressants are often prescribed, and anti-anxiety medications may also be prescribed.

- Only two drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to specifically treat PTSD. Both of these medications are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (or SSRIs) and are also approved to treat depression. These medications do not reduce PTSD symptoms for everyone.

- Only 20 – 30% of patients achieve remission (i.e., they no longer have PTSD).  So for many, this is a lifelong struggle.

- Although psychotherapy and medication can significantly reduce PTSD symptoms for some people, there is still great room for improvement. The nonresponse rate for psychotherapy is also high, with many people stopping early.

- As a result, treatment-resistant PTSD remains a significant problem.

HOW IS PTSD DIAGNOSED?

- Currently, the testing, and diagnosis of PTSD are based on structured interviews and questionnaires administered by a clinician and according to the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association.

- Screening tools, such as the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) Scale have been developed.  Additionally, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a self-report questionnaire. 

WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF PTSD?

- The estimated total annual cost of PTSD in the United States is $232 billion and considers the effects of direct health care, disability, and unemployment.  

- 18% of these costs come from military personnel and veterans.

- According to the American Psychological Association (APA) the annual cost was $25,684 per military veteran in 2023.

- The suicide rate among military veterans is 57% higher than the US adult population (32 per 100,000).

- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for military veterans under the age of 45.

- Suicide rates have increased 10-fold for military veterans serving between 2006 - 2020 to 57 per 100,000.

- Veterans with PTSD are 3 times as likely to commit suicide compared to veterans without PTSD.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF PTSD ON VETERAN SUICIDE?

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?

- National Center for PTSD (ptsd.va.gov)

bottom of page