Trauma Support | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Chapters

2. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Who's at risk?

Studies suggest that up to 8 percent of people overall may suffer from PTSD symptoms at some point in their lives.

Unsurprisingly, combat veterans are the most affected group. According to the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Survey, some 25% of U.S. veterans were suffering from PTSD in the early 1990s.

Another nationwide survey at about the same time found that women were twice as likely as men to experience PTSD, with women identifying physical attack or threat as the most common cause and men highlighting combat and witnessing someone else's injury or death.

Research has shown that journalists are especially at risk. According to surveys carried out in the U.S. in 2003, some 96 percent of print journalists reported exposure to a traumatic work-related event, the figure rising to 98 percent among photographers. Traffic accidents, fire and murder were the most common events.

In a survey of war correspondents, the Canadian neuro-psychiatrist Anthony Feinstein found that some 28 percent had experienced PTSD at some stage during their careers, a rate similar to that reported by many studies of military combatants.

Trauma Tip - Watch and Wait

Studies have shown that up to 60 percent of those closely involved in a traumatic event will experience some symptoms of PTSD in the immediate aftermath. For the majority, those symptoms will subside on their own accord leaving an absolute maximum of 10 percent who continue to suffer from some or all of the symptoms. Treatment should be sought if symptoms have not begun to dissipate four weeks after the event.

Types of PTSD

Whoever you are, it is quite possible to develop many of the symptoms of PTSD in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event such as a bomb blast, a violent crime or an earthquake (Type I). Symptoms can also be set off by long-term exposure to distressing situations such as famine, poverty or chronic insecurity (Type II).

But it is NOT POSSIBLE to diagnose someone with PTSD during the first month following a traumatic event, when the symptoms would be diagnosed as Acute Stress Disorder. If the symptoms are still arising four weeks after an event, the following classifications might apply:

Acute PTSD - symptoms subside within three months
Chronic PTSD - symptoms last three months or more
Delayed onset PTSD - symptoms can appear months, even years, after the event

Trauma Tip: Complex PTSD

While this condition is probably less common among journalists themselves, it is likely to be far more prevalent among those that they interview. Sometimes called the "Disorder of Extreme Stress", Complex PTSD is the result of prolonged exposure to traumatic circumstances, usually during childhood, such as sexual abuse or chronic armed conflict. Sufferers exhibit severe behavioural and emotional difficulties, including aggression, rage, depression, substance abuse and eating disorders.