5.10 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and 5.11 Acute Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorders

A set of flashcards defining key psychological terms related to trauma and stress disorders.

flashback

A psychological state lasting from a few seconds to several days, during which one relives a traumatic event and behaves as though the event were occurring at that moment.

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Experiencing a profoundly traumatic event leads to a constellation of symptoms that include intrusive and distressing memories of the event, avoidance of stimuli connected to the event, negative emotional states, feelings of detachment from others, irritability, proneness to outbursts, hypervigilance, and a tendency to startle easily; these symptoms must occur for at least one month

acute stress disorder

A disorder occurring for three days or one month following a traumatic experience marked by intrusion, negative mood changes, dissociation, avoidance, and changes in arousal

adjustment disorder

A disorder involving a significant stress response occurring within three months of a stressor and marked by significant impairment but not meeting criteria for other disorders