Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Community

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Abstract
ALTHOUGH posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been closely identified with Vietnam war veterans, there has been a growing interest in the disorder as it applies to a wide range of traumas experienced by individuals in the community.1-8 The core features of PTSD consist of (1) the "stressor criterion" that defines the etiologic event in PTSD; and (2) the set of symptoms that defines the characteristic PTSD syndrome, ie, (a) reexperiencing the trauma, (b) numbing of responsiveness or avoidance of thoughts or acts related to the trauma, and (c) excess arousal.9 Recent surveys in the general population have estimated that approximately 1 adult in 12 has experienced PTSD at any time in life, roughly 15% to 24% of those exposed to traumatic events.3,8

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