How is the diagnosis of PTSD determined?
In order to establish a diagnosis of PTSD, the existence of an “extreme traumatic stressor” must be verified. In the case of combat-induced PTSD, this can be easily accomplished by obtaining military records and consulting with someone experienced in interpreting these documents. With other types of trauma, establishing the “extreme traumatic stressor” can be more problematic. However, depending on the nature of the trauma, other public documents or corroboration of the trauma from neutral sources may be useful.. Once the existence of a traumatic stressor has been established, the diagnosis of PTSD must be made by a mental-health professional with experience in trauma. Various instruments have been developed to assess for PTSD, including the Mississippi Scale for PTSD (combat and civilian versions), the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM IV, and certain portions of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. However, certain behaviors observed by a layperson can indicate th
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