Evaluation of traumatic events as defined by the DSM-IV-TR criteria

Objective. We attempted to better evaluate clinicians' understanding of Criterion A1 of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Method. Approximately 50 mental health clinicians from the Department of Veterans Affairs evaluated 10 scenarios in which potentially traumatic events were described. Results. The results found psychiatrists and psychologists to be slightly more conservative in claiming an event was traumatic in comparison to social workers. In addition, events were deemed at a somewhat higher level of trauma for individuals who had less years of experience at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Conclusion. These data are presented as the initial step in better understanding the features included in determining whether an event is deemed traumatic according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria.