Trauma Exposure

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).”

The freedoms Americans enjoy come at a price; brave military men and women often foot the bill. Many men and women pay with their lives; others relive the sights, sounds, and terror of combat in the form of PTSD. Several causes and risk factors contribute to the development of PTSD. Combat-related PTSD appears slightly different than traditional PTSD. History tells of times when soldiers diagnosed with PTSD were viewed as “weak.” Resources have not always been available to struggling soldiers. The adverse symptoms of PTSD on soldiers and their families can be crippling.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans has been prevalent in the United States ever since the diagnosis of shell shock after World War I. PTSD continues to be prevalent in veterans from the Vietnam War, to the Gulf War, to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among veterans during the Vietnam era was 30.9% for men and 26.9% for women (U.S. Department of Government Affairs, 2015). Based on a population study the prevalence of PTSD among previously deployed Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom was 13.8% (U.S. Department of Government Affairs, 2015). PTSD in combat veterans can be very difficult to understand. This is widely due to the lack of research

It does not matter who the person is, what they do, or even what race they are, they are all susceptible to PTSD. Once this PTSD enters their mind, it will be hard to stop, however it still is possible. Some people eventually overcome it, however it takes drive and motivation to overcome it, and if the victim is lacking in that someone else must make up for it, whether that be a doctor or a loved one, somebody must fight it. PTSD is not invincible and can be defeated, and those who are willing to work can defeat it, and they will. Concluding it all, PTSD is a horrible disorder, it wreaks havoc on those who it’s grasps reaches, and makes their life a living hell, therefore it must be prevented, and for it to be prevented people must care, so instead of ignoring it all, take to the sufferers and make a

When someone hears about Post Traumatic Stress disorder, they assume it only affects those in active duty or military veterans. However, it can affects those who have seen natural disasters, severe child abuse and horrible events. The national comorbidity survey replications did a survey on how many people in the US have PTSD they say, “(NCS-R), conducted between February 2001 and April 2003, comprised interviews of a nationally representative sample of 9,282 Americans aged 18 years and older. PTSD was assessed among 5,692 participants, using DSM-IV criteria. The NCS-R estimated the lifetime prevalence of PTSD among adult Americans to be 6.8% (1). Current past year PTSD prevalence was estimated at 3.5% (2).The lifetime prevalence of PTSD among men was 3.6% and among women was 9.7%.

In the immediate, as well as long-term aftermath of exposure to trauma, children are at risk of developing significant emotional and behavior difficulties (CWIG, 2012). The most damaging types of trauma include early physical and sexual abuse, neglect, emotional/psychological abuse, exposure to domestic violence and other forms of child maltreatment (Hoch, 2009). Research has shown that children that are exposed to these types of trauma will experience developmental delays including language and verbal processing. Also, they will have risk of poor physiological and psychosocial functioning, and will be vulnerable to emotional and behavioral dysregulation disorders, thus, leading to an increase risk of poor outcomes including substance abuse, suicidality, teen pregnancy and paternity, criminal activity, and revictimization (Hoch, 2009).

Approximately 30% of men and 27% of women had PTSD at some point in their life following Vietnam.” In examining the mental health condition of Persian Gulf War veterans have found, “… rates of PTSD stemming from the war range anywhere from almost 9% to approximately 24%. “In Iraq Afghan War “After deployment, approximately 12.5% had PTSD, a rate greater than that found among these soldiers before deployment”.

Three groups were utilized in this study these included, “ those with no mental health diagnoses, those with mental health diagnoses other than PTSD (290.0–319.0, excluding 309.81), and those with PTSD (309.81) and co-morbid mental health diagnoses.” (Cohen, etal, 2009). These groups were followed

One group of people at risk for developing PTSD are those who have experienced military combat. Although it is difficult to provide a definitive number of veterans with current PTSD, the following data provide some insight into prevalence rates. Hoge et al. (2004) assessed Army combat troops for PTSD one month prior to deployment and four months postdeployment. Marine Corps combat troops were also assessed for PTSD, however, this group was only assessed for PTSD after deployment. Their data estimated prevalence of PTSD for the Army study group before deployment to Iraq to be at 9% and after deployment to Iraq at 18%. The researchers also provided data for Afghanistan post deployment rates of PTSD for the Army group to be at 11.5%. Additionally,

Exposure to traumatic stressors is a critical element of probation work. Despite the tremendous amount of research on primary and secondary trauma, there is a paucity of research regarding the risks and effects of primary and secondary trauma on corrections personnel, and specifically female probation officers. Working as a probation officer involves a variety of roles and includes exposure to direct danger from threatening clients as well as exposure to secondary trauma in the form of “trauma material, including graphic descriptions of violent events, exposure to the realities of people’s cruelty to one another”

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.

The Multicultural consideration in a recent sample of inner-city women (approximately two thirds of whom were Black) disclosed almost 25% met criteria for PTSD and that a history of either child abuse or rape in adulthood increased their chances of having PTSD nonetheless of this group, both abuse and rape increased the likelihood of PTSD 17 times (Schumm, Briggs-Phillips, & Hobfoll, 2006). Additional studies of homeless or low-income women were found among African American or

Before the 9/11 attacks, studies of the prevalence of PTSD in the United States demonstrated that 5 to 6 percent of men and 10 to 14 percent of women had had PTSD at some time in their lives, making it the fourth most common psychiatric disorder. Data from general population surveys in New York City after the 9/11 terrorist attacks indicated substantial PTSD symptoms. Galea and colleagues (2002) found that

In order to better understand how trauma is a risk factor for psychosis, the different trauma domains must be investigated.