Defining Acute Stress Reactions to support large scale combat operations

Area of Science:

• Military medicine
• Psychotraumatology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Large-scale combat operations (LSCO) are anticipated by the US military.
• LSCO is expected to increase the incidence and severity of Acute Stress Reactions (ASRs).
• Current conceptualizations of ASRs are inconsistent, hindering research and intervention development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing definitions of ASR.
• To discuss ASR specifically within the context of LSCO.
• To propose a comprehensive definition of ASR.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of ASR definitions.
• Analysis of ASR in relation to LSCO scenarios.
• Synthesis of current research to formulate a new definition.

Main Results:

• Existing ASR definitions lack consensus, varying between diagnostic (ICD-10) and non-diagnostic (US military) classifications.
• A novel definition is proposed, integrating symptom domains, temporal aspects, and functional/neurocognitive impacts.
• This work is the first to comprehensively define ASR in the LSCO context.

Conclusions:

• A unified definition of ASR is crucial for advancing research and developing effective interventions.
• The proposed definition provides a framework for understanding and addressing ASR in modern warfare.
• Further research is needed to validate and implement this comprehensive ASR definition.