Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder in Primary Care Practice

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Abstract
PURPOSE To provide clinicians in primary care settings with guidelines on evaluation, diagnosis, and management of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). DATA SOURCES Research‐based articles in the medical and psychiatric literature, review articles, and diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSIONS PTSD is a disorder where psychological and physiological reactions are closely related. Populations at risk include survivors of motor vehicle accidents, natural and man‐made disasters, torture, and childhood sexual abuse, as well as combat veterans. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Patients with a history of recent trauma should be targeted for early screening and intervention. Effective treatment of PTSD is a three‐stage process consisting of stabilization of symptoms, processing of traumatic perceptions, and integration of trauma into the patient's world‐ and self‐view.