{"id":2308,"date":"2017-09-20T21:25:06","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T21:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/psyptsd\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T19:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T19:50:08","slug":"psyptsd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/psyptsd\/","title":{"rendered":"Diagnostic Criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"99c380e4b4a7b96c35d7ddf7dcb434e8\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:0px 0 0px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- MC 2019- Horizontal -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0127150553352455\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3806776041\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><b>Diagnostic Criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder<\/b><br \/>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>DSM-5 Criteria\u00a0<\/b><br \/>\nA. Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence\u00a0in one (or more) of the following ways:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Directly experiencing the traumatic event(s).<\/li>\n<li>Witnessing, in person, the event(s) as it occurred to others.<\/li>\n<li>Learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member\u00a0or close friend. In cases of actual or threatened death of a family\u00a0member or friend, the event(s) must have been violent or accidental.<\/li>\n<li>Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the\u00a0traumatic event(s) (e.g., first responders collecting human remains;\u00a0police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Note: Criterion A4 does not apply to exposure through electronic media,\u00a0television, movies, or pictures, unless this exposure is work related.<br \/>\nB. Presence of one (or more) of the following intrusion symptoms associated\u00a0with the traumatic event(s), beginning after the traumatic event(s)\u00a0occurred:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic\u00a0event(s).<\/li>\n<li>Recurrent distressing dreams in which the content and\/or affect of the\u00a0dream are related to the traumatic event(s).<\/li>\n<li>Dissociative reactions (e.g., flashbacks) in which the individual feels or\u00a0acts as if the traumatic event(s) were recurring. (Such reactions may\u00a0occur on a continuum, with the most extreme expression being a\u00a0complete loss of awareness of present surroundings.)<\/li>\n<li>Intense or prolonged psychological distress at exposure to internal or external\u00a0cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s).<\/li>\n<li>Marked physiological reactions to internal or external cues that symbolize\u00a0or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>C. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the traumatic event(s),\u00a0beginning after the traumatic event(s) occurred, as evidenced by\u00a0one or both of the following:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Avoidance of or efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, or\u00a0feelings about or closely associated with the traumatic event(s).<\/li>\n<li>Avoidance of or efforts to avoid external reminders (people, places, conversations,\u00a0activities, objects, situations) that arouse distressing\u00a0memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely associated with the\u00a0traumatic event(s).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>D. Negative alterations in cognitions and mood associated with the traumatic\u00a0event(s), beginning or worsening after the traumatic event(s) occurred,\u00a0as evidenced by two (or more) of the following:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event(s)\u00a0(typically due to dissociative amnesia and not to other factors such\u00a0as head injury, alcohol, or drugs).<\/li>\n<li>Persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs or expectations about oneself, others,\u00a0or the world (e.g., \u201cI am bad,\u201d \u201cNo one can be trusted,\u201d \u201cThe world is\u00a0completely dangerous,\u201d \u201cMy whole nervous system is permanently ruined\u201d).<\/li>\n<li>Persistent, distorted cognitions about the cause or consequences of the traumatic\u00a0event(s) that lead the individual to blame himself\/herself or others.<\/li>\n<li>Persistent negative emotional state (e.g., fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame).<\/li>\n<li>Markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities.<\/li>\n<li>Feelings of detachment or estrangement from others.<\/li>\n<li>Persistent inability to experience positive emotions (e.g., inability to\u00a0experience happiness, satisfaction, or loving feelings).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>E. Marked alterations in arousal and reactivity associated with the traumatic\u00a0event(s), beginning or worsening after the traumatic event(s) occurred,\u00a0as evidenced by two (or more) of the following:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Irritable behavior and angry outbursts (with little or no provocation)\u00a0typically expressed as verbal or physical aggression toward people\u00a0or objects.<\/li>\n<li>Reckless or self-destructive behavior.<\/li>\n<li>Hypervigilance.<\/li>\n<li>Exaggerated startle response.<\/li>\n<li>Problems with concentration.<\/li>\n<li>Sleep disturbance (e.g., difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless\u00a0sleep).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>F. Duration of the disturbance (Criteria B, C, D, and E) is more than\u00a01 month.<br \/>\nG. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in\u00a0social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.<br \/>\nH. The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance\u00a0(e.g., medication, alcohol) or another medical condition.<br \/>\nSpecify whether: With dissociative symptoms: The individual\u2019s symptoms\u00a0meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, and in addition,\u00a0in response to the stressor, the individual experiences persistent or\u00a0recurrent symptoms of either of the following:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Depersonalization: Persistent or recurrent experiences of feeling detached\u00a0from, and as if one were an outside observer of, one\u2019s mental\u00a0processes or body (e.g., feeling as though one were in a dream; feeling\u00a0a sense of unreality of self or body or of time moving slowly).<\/li>\n<li>Derealization: Persistent or recurrent experiences of unreality of surroundings\u00a0(e.g., the world around the individual is experienced as unreal,\u00a0dreamlike, distant, or distorted).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Note: To use this subtype, the dissociative symptoms must not be attributable\u00a0to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts, behavior\u00a0during alcohol intoxication) or another medical condition\u00a0(e.g., complex partial seizures).<br \/>\nSpecify if: With delayed expression: If the full diagnostic criteria are not met\u00a0until at least 6 months after the event (although the onset and expression\u00a0of some symptoms may be immediate).<br \/>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>ICD-11 Criteria<\/b><br \/>\nExposure to an extremely threatening or horrific\u00a0event or series of events<br \/>\nIntrusion symptoms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Re-experiencing the traumatic event or events\u00a0in the present in the form of vivid intrusive\u00a0memories, flashbacks, or nightmares.<\/li>\n<li>Re-experiencing accompanied by strong and\u00a0overwhelming emotions such as fear or\u00a0horror and strong physical sensations,\u00a0or feelings of being overwhelmed or immersed\u00a0in the same intense emotions\u00a0that were experienced during the traumatic\u00a0event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<p>Avoidance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoidance of thoughts and memories of the\u00a0event or events.<\/li>\n<li>Avoidance of activities, situations, or people\u00a0reminiscent of the event or events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Persistent perceptions of heightened current\u00a0threat:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hypervigilance.<\/li>\n<li>Enhanced startle reaction to stimuli such\u00a0as unexpected noises.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The symptoms must persist for at least several\u00a0weeks.<br \/>\nThe symptoms must cause significant impairment\u00a0in personal, family, social, educational,\u00a0occupational or other important\u00a0areas of functioning.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>References:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Shalev A, Liberzon I, Marmar C. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jun 22;376(25):2459-2469\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28636846\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">[Medline]<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Robert NP. Post-traumatic stress disorder. BMJ. 2015 Nov 26;351:h6161\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26611143\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">[Medline]<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Meijer L, Thomaes K, Blankers M, Dekovi\u0107 M, Franz MR, Kleber R, van de Putte EM, van Ee E, Camisasca E, Fredman SJ, Moser D, Mullins LL, Muzik M, Overbeek M, Palmer Molina A, Riggs J, Rosenblum K, Samuelson K, Schechter D, Suttora C, Finkenauer C. Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2025 Dec;16(1):2538907. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40853506\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[Medline]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Created Sep 20, 2017.<br \/>\nUp-date Mar 6, 2026.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sorry, this entry is only available in Espa\u00f1ol.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[616,16,15,14,13,85,534,50,615,614,613,612,611,610,617],"class_list":["post-2308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-psychiatry","tag-cie","tag-criteria","tag-criterios","tag-diagnostic","tag-diagnostico","tag-disorder","tag-dsm","tag-enfermedad","tag-post","tag-shock","tag-stress","tag-traumatic","tag-traumatica","tag-traumatico","tag-v"],"modified_by":"Guillermo Firman","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2308"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10689,"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308\/revisions\/10689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalcriteria.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}