Acute Stress Disorder

Following the discussion on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the DSM-5 diagnostic manual continues with Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). This disorder shares similarities with PTSD, so I’ll explain it by drawing parallels between the two. Let’s explore, in my own words, the criteria for diagnosing Acute Stress Disorder.

1. Exposure to a Traumatic Event: The first criterion is the same for both PTSD and ASD, as mentioned in the previous post. It involves exposure to a traumatic event, such as a threat of death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This exposure can be direct, where the individual experiences the traumatic event firsthand, or indirect, such as witnessing the event or learning that it occurred to a close family member or friend.

2. Characterization of Stress Symptoms: In PTSD, for a diagnosis to be made, the individual must exhibit symptoms across all categories, specifically:

• At least one intrusive symptom
• At least one avoidance symptom
• At least two negative alterations in cognition and mood
• At least two alterations in arousal and reactivity

In contrast, for Acute Stress Disorder, the requirement is the presence of at least 9 symptoms, regardless of their category. These symptoms can be drawn from any of the categories mentioned above, but they don't need to be evenly distributed across them.

3. Duration of Symptoms: Another key difference between PTSD and ASD is the duration of symptoms. For PTSD, the symptoms must persist for at least one month. However, in Acute Stress Disorder, the symptoms must last for 3 days to one month. As with PTSD, the symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning, and there is no better clinical explanation for them.

Acute Stress Disorder is essentially a short-term reaction to trauma, which, if left untreated, can sometimes develop into PTSD if the symptoms persist beyond one month.

Sources:

• American Psychiatric Association (2013) - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
• Bernhill, J. W. (2014) - DSM-5 Clinical Cases.

If you’d like me to describe another psychology topic in my own words, feel free to write it in the comments!