An Overview of Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Trauma and stressor-related disorders are disorders triggered by environmental stressors and trauma.

The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition) considers these disorders to be abnormal responses to traumatic or stressful events.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder have the same symptoms but different duration in which symptoms persist.

AD has six diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5: Emotional and behavioral issues develop as a reaction to the stressor during a three-month period of the onset of the stressors.

Dissociative disorders can be diagnostic criteria for other disorders like PTSD and ASD .

There is a correlation between having AD as a child or adolescent and developing other mental disorders as an adult.

Cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) has shown to be an effective treatment method for trauma and stressor-related disorders.

The assumption that symptoms of these disorders will resolve over time is not a definitive or clear treatment method.

Prevention of such disorders can be established by addressing trauma before they trigger symptoms.