PTSD: DSM IV Criteria

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PTSD: What is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)?
PTSD: DSM IV Criteria

PTSD: DSM IV Criteria

December 13, 2011 at 17:34

PTSD: DSM IV Criteria

There are many symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) that have been grouped by health professionals into 6 specific criteria. A person does not need to experience all the symptoms to be diagnosed with PTSD, but factors from each criterion are evident to help form a diagnosis of PTSD. Criteria A-F, listed below, are outlined in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV.

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Criterion A

A person must have experienced a traumatic event where both of the following occurred:

The person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event where there was the threat of or actual death or serious injury. The event may also have involved a threat to the person’s physical well-being or the physical well-being of another person.
The person responded to the event with strong feelings of fear, anxiety, helplessness, or horror.

Criterion B

The person experiences at least one of the following re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD:

Frequently having upsetting thoughts or memories about a traumatic event.
Having recurrent nightmares.
Acting or feeling as though the traumatic event were happening again, sometimes called a “flashback.”
Having very strong feelings of distress when reminded of the traumatic event.
Being physically responsive, such as experiencing a surge in your heart rate or sweating, to reminders of the traumatic event.

Criterion C

The person experiences at least three of the following avoidance symptoms of PTSD:

Making an effort to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations about the traumatic event.
Making an effort to avoid places or people that remind you of the traumatic event.
Having a difficult time remembering important parts of the traumatic event.
A loss of interest in important, once positive, activities.
Feeling distant from others.
Experiencing difficulties having positive feelings, such as happiness or love.
Feeling as though your life may be cut short.

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Criterion D

The person experiences at least two of the following hyper-arousal symptoms of PTSD:

Having a difficult time falling or staying asleep.
Feeling more irritable or having outbursts of anger.
Having difficulty concentrating.
Feeling constantly “on guard” or like danger is lurking around every corner.
Being “jumpy” or easily startled.

Criterion E

The symptoms described above must have lasted for more than a month. If the symptoms have lasted for less than a month, you may have another anxiety disorder called Acute Stress Disorder.

Criterion F

The symptoms described above have a great negative impact on your life, interfering with physical health, work or relationships.

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