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Posttraumatic stress disorder: diagnostic and epidemiological perspectives.
Hans-Ulrich Wittchen1, Andrew Gloster, Katja Beesdo
1Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, Germany. wittchen@psychologie.tu-dresden.de
CNS Spectrums
|January 27, 2009
Summary
Epidemiology provides extensive data on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence and risk factors. However, it has not yet clarified critical diagnostic issues like trauma definition or symptom duration for PTSD classification.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
- Mental Health Classification
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis relies on epidemiological data.
- Diagnostic criteria are under review for the DSM and ICD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess epidemiology's contribution to clarifying critical diagnostic issues in PTSD.
- To identify areas needing further epidemiological research for diagnostic refinement.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological findings related to PTSD diagnosis.
- Analysis of data on prevalence, incidence, onset, course, comorbidity, and risk factors.
Main Results:
- Epidemiology offers rich data on PTSD prevalence, incidence, and risk factors.
- Limited systematic research directly addresses critical diagnostic issues for PTSD.
- Unresolved concerns include trauma definition, duration/impairment criteria, syndrome distinctiveness, and classification placement.
Conclusions:
- Further exploitation of epidemiological data is needed.
- Improving epidemiological methods and assessments can clarify unresolved diagnostic issues for PTSD.
- Epidemiology's potential to refine PTSD diagnosis remains significant.
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