Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is increasingly recognized as both a disorder of enormous mental health and societal burden, but also as an anxiety disorder that may be particularly understandable from a scientific perspective. Specifically, PTSD can be conceptualized as a disorder of fear and stress dysregulation, and the neural circuitry underlying these pathways in both animals and hum...

While traumatic stress studies have been undertaken in the South African Police Service (SAPS),1,2 there are few data related to traumatic events experienced by policemen of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) – a branch of SAPS concerned with law enforcement on the road. Similar to other disaster workers, these policemen are expected to be at increased risk of acute stress disorder, depressi...

The current article describes the application of a behavioral psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is argued that PTSD can be conceptualized as a disorder that is developed and maintained in traumatized individuals as a result of excessive, ineffective attempts to control unwanted thoughts, feelings, and memories, ...

Being diagnosed with and treated for cancer is highly stressful and potentially traumatic. An extensive literature has evaluated the prevalence, predictors, and correlates of cancer-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and diagnoses. In this qualitative review of cancer-related PTSD literature, we highlight conceptual, methodological, and diagnostic issues, and identify clinic...

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to measure prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of UK Armed Forces peacekeepers. The study also aimed to explore the influence of deploying without an established peer group (deployment status) upon health outcomes using an accepted diagnostic tool for PTSD (PCL-M) and an alternative measure of post-traumatic distress. DESIGN Using a sub-...

BACKGROUND Previous research reveals an association between traumatic stress and an increased risk for numerous diseases, including cancer. At the molecular level, stress may increase carcinogenesis via increased DNA damage and impaired DNA repair mechanisms. We assessed DNA breakage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and measured t...

More than a decade of war in the Middle East has pushed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the forefront of public health concerns. The author defines the disorder and discusses risk factors, treatments, and the barriers to effective care.

Introduction: Posttraumatic stress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder caused by exposure to traumatic events. The aim of this study was to induce PTSD in rats and examine the effect of WIN55-212-2, a cannabinoid receptor agonist,