Participants in the telemental health group will take the PCL-M, which is a modified version of the original PCL but modified for those in the military and veterans. The purpose of this measure is to help confirm that the independent variables, telemental health and in-person therapy, do not have an effect on the dependent variable, which is the change in symptoms. This will be measured by the variation between the two groups change score. The scores measured will be from the PCL-M taken at the beginning and end sessions of the CBT treatment. The PCL-M is a 17 item self-report measure that is based on the DSM-IV symptoms. It is frequently used for screening, aiding in diagnostic assessment, and monitoring change in PTSD symptoms. It focuses on experiences served while active in the military. Sample items include “Repeated, disturbing memories, thoughts, or images of a stressful military experience?”, “Having physical reactions (e.g., heart pounding, trouble breathing, or sweating) when something reminded you of a stressful military experience?”, and “Avoid activities or talking about a stressful military experience or avoid having feelings related to it?” (Weathers, Huska & Keane, 1991). A 5-point scale is used as possible responses (1= not at all, 3=moderately, 5=extremely). The suggested PCL Cut-Point Scores for those within the VA or civilian specialty mental health clinics is 45-50 (total score ranging from 17-85) (Using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-IV (PCL),
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.
Between February 2001 and April 2003, many were completed by approximately 9,282 Americans, 18 years of age or above, completed a survey that was conducted by The National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). According to The National Comorbidity Survey Replication study, 5,692 Americans were diagnosed with PTSD. However, this research used the DSM-4 criteria. It was estimated that the lifetime prevalence was about 6.8% for Americans in young adulthood. This was a jump from the previous year at 3.5%. The lifetime prevalence for women was higher, at 9.7%, than it was for men at 3.6%. “Kessler, R.C., Berglund, P., Delmer, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K.R., & Walters, E.E. (2005).”
I find it troubling that our Soldier’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms are being discredited by the medical community. It appears as though there has been a shift in our commitment to the health of the men and women who served this nation. These ideas connect to the overall ideas of the unit because it provides greater insight on challenges that patients and medical professionals experience when coping with cognitive health concerns. I do not have any personal experience associated with PTSD; however, the problem that I find in this article is that it suggests the effects of trauma which causes PTSD can be measured by a universal criteria. For example, I believe this research should consider that each individual has a unique level of tolerance to trauma which may cause them to respond in varying degrees of severity. Additionally, a patient’s inability to accurately express their symptoms may play a major factor which is causing this disparity. I recommend that further research should be conducted to
Today's veterans offten return home and find themselves experiencing PTSD symptoms as a result of combat-related stress and signfigant amount of exposure to traumatic events. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among United States Veterans has risen to great numbers in recent years due United States involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) thus far within the last 10 years 1,400,000 military service members have been engaged in these conflicts. Once Unitied States troops were deployed and participated in Operation New Dawn (OND) numbers began to rise over 2.5 million troops. (Rosenthal, J. Z., Grosswald, S., Ross, R., & Rosenthal, N. 2011) The veteran population will face exclusive types of stressors
The current criteria of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has changed since the DSM-IV. In the DSM-V, the diagnostic criteria draws a clearer line when detailing what establishes a traumatic event. The DSM-V pays more attention to the behavioral symptoms that accompany PTSD and proposes four distinct diagnostic clusters instead of three. They are described as re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions and mood, and arousal. Re-experiencing is the spontaneous memories of the traumatic event, recurrent dreams related to it, flashbacks or other intense psychological distress. Avoidance refers to distressing memories, thoughts, feelings or external reminders of the event. Negative cognitions and moods represent endless feelings from a
If the patients scored a 44 or greater on their PTSD checklist then they would then complete a baseline assessment. From there if the patient met the PTSD diagnostic standard they were randomly put into 1 of 3 treatment conditions: Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(ICBT) plus Standard Care(SC), Individual Addiction Counseling(IAC) plus SC, or just SC by itself. Instruments that were used were urine drug screens. These were used to confirm that the patient was actively using a substance. Another tool used was the one step Multi-Drug Screen Test card that has an Integrated iCup. This test is used to test for many drugs recent in the patient such as: cannabis, amphetamine, opiate, etc. The Timeline Follow Back(TFLB) Method and ASI were also used. The TFLB is a well-organized interview that is like a self-report, that is used to obtain a patient’s substance intake for the former 90 days. The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), is a diagnostic interview used to measure PTSD. For the patient to meet the criteria the CAPS total score must be equal to 44 or greater. The patient must also report symptoms such as numbing, hyperarousal, etc. Moderate PTSD scores were between 44 and 64. CAP scores that were equal to 65 or greater was considered severe PTSD. ASI was used to examine psychiatric problem severity. Things such as chi-squares and T-tests were used to evaluate the differences in baselines in
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with war veterans. These days, assuming symptoms of PTSD in soldiers returning from combat tours is almost stereotypical. In fact, in the 2012 American Psychological Association (APA) annual meeting, some argue to change PTSD to post-traumatic stress “injury” to be more accommodating to soldiers, and to resolve the issue of unreported PTSD-related symptoms within military ranks (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Military officials explained that many soldiers do not report their symptoms because of the fear of being viewed as weak (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, the incidence of PTSD can be as common among civilians as it is for those in the military.
1. Participants must meet DSM-5 criteria for current PTSD (within the past 6 months. Subjects are allowed to have multiple traumatic events. They must have a CAPS score of 50 or higher, which qualifies them for moderate to severe PTSD symptoms.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is a silent assassin in which those around the victim have no idea what is taking place within their minds. Only those closest to the person recognize that there is something wrong. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnoses PTSD as persistent re-experiencing of the trauma, efforts to avoid triggers related to the trauma, and hyperarousal or increased reactivity (Reddy, 2014). PTSD is associated with exposure to a traumatic event and in some cases, symptoms of the disorder can take months or years to appear and even longer for the individual to seek help. PTSD is a very common occurrence in veterans, especially veterans who engaged in
Upon learning more about Rod and his deployment to Afghanistan, as well as learning about the symptoms that he presents with it was determined by the therapist to give the client the PTSD checklist military version (PCL-M). The PCL-M is a self-reportable measure that is compatible with the symptoms of PTSD outlined in the DSM-V (PTSD Check List-Military Version, 2012). There are 17 items in the PCL-M that have to do with distress from a trauma over the last month (PTSD Check List-Military Version, 2012). The PCL-M uses a five point Likert scale that ranges from 1 being not at all to 5 being extremely (PTSD Check List-Military Version, 2012). Another measure that can used includes the Structured Interview for PTSD (SI-PTSD) (Verstrael, Van
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 11-20% of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, 10% of Gulf War veterans and 30% of Vietnam War veterans. With many young men and women shipping off to join the military service, the thought of being one of the 20 out of 100 coming back from the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to suffer from PTSD is a scary thought. Little is known about PTSD and all major research being done on PTSD has been completed in only the last 30 years. This excludes many of the veterans of World War 1 and World War 2, the most gruesome war in the last century. The government is steadily increasing the benefits and services available to veterans suffering from PTSD symptoms
Within the human experience, there has always been a risk of exposure to both physical and psychological trauma. The threat of violence, personal tragedies, and economic and social catastrophes are all possible triggers for an onset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What was once reserved as a diagnosis for veterans has been found to affect both young and old. The development of various assessment tools have been used in diagnosing PTSD and one of the most commonly used tests is the Post-Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale. It is an assessment that was developed and validated by Edna Foa to provide a brief but reliable self-report measure of PTSD for use in both clinical and research settings (Zalta, Gillihan, Fisher, Mintz, McLean, Yehuda, & Foa, 2014). The Post-Traumatic Diagnostic Scale is an assessment instrument deigned to be taken by adults with at least an eighth grade reading level. This review of will evaluate the hits, misses, false positive errors, and false negative errors of this instrument and how to each area is applied in interpreting the construct measurement of this assessment tool. Although the Post Traumatic diagnostic Scale has consistently ranked high with clinicians and researchers, in self-reporting the definition of trauma can potentially become subjective and compromise the reliability of the assessment tool.
Diagnostic criteria for PTSD includes a history of exposure to a traumatic event that meets specific stipulations and symptoms from each of the four symptom clusters included in the DSM-5: intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and activity. The sixth criterion concerns duration of symptoms; the seventh assesses functioning; and, the eighth criterion clarifies symptoms as not attributable to a substance or co-occurring medical condition.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD), described by DSM-5 is in which he or she has been exposed to a traumatic event either experiencing or witnessing the event. PTSD classified in DSM is related to the family of anxiety disorders but also involves dissociative symptomology (Dombeck). DSM first identified Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a psychiatric disorder in 1980. The 1980’s had many mental health professionals having trouble diagnosing veterans coming back from the Vietnam War. Scientists believe PTSD was identified and recognized thoroughly in the view of soldiers coming back from the Vietnam War was because they were not openly welcome and were not identified to be heroes (Loughran, 2011). Since these soldiers coming back from
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that found its way into the third edition of the DSM as a classifiable mental disorder in 1980. To warrant such diagnosis, a person must have witnessed or experienced an actual or threatened traumatic event, such as combat, assault, sexual abuse, natural disasters, and vehicle accidents. Additionally, a person must meet the criteria in the DSM-5, such as recurrent and intrusive thoughts of the event, flashbacks, diminished in activities, difficulty concentrating, and trouble falling asleep.