Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder that can occur in patients who have suffered traumatic events such as the loss of a baby during birth, road accidents, sexual and physical assault, and the death of loved ones (Schrader et al., 2021). This condition lowers the quality of life; therefore, diagnosis and treatment must be achieved to help the patient. The critical feature in the occurrence of PTSD is are dysregulation of hormones. The primary hormones involved in this condition are cortisol and thyroid hormones. In patients with brain injury due to trauma, abnormal endocrine functioning is noted due to pituitary stalk damage. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis plays a significant role in controlling human stress, which is paramount in causing PTSD. The components of the HPA axis are the adrenal glands, hypothalamus, and anterior pituitary. Adrenal glands release glucocorticoids, adrenocorticotropin, and corticotropin-releasing hormones. Glucocorticoids regulate behavioral and physiological stress responses by controlling the brain’s functions and metabolism in the body. Neurotransmitters such as catecholamines, opioids, serotonin, and peptides are found in the brain’s circuits, and their dysregulation results in neurochemical features of PTSD.

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DSM-5-TR Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD

According to Forkus et al. (2023), To achieve a diagnosis of PTSD, some conditions in the DSM-V diagnostic criteria have to be met. The first criterion is that the patient should have been involved in any event that caused trauma. The second criterion is that the patient must have obsessive unpleasant, and disturbing ideas from the trauma, which could be nightmares, emotional distress, flashbacks, and distractions. The other criterion is that the patient avoids things related to the traumatic event, such as preventing flashbacks by keeping themselves busy. Negative affect and mood are the fourth diagnostic criteria. The fifth criterion is that the patient alters reactivity related to the evidence during trauma, like recklessness and sleep disturbance. In order to confirm a diagnosis of PTSD, the symptoms should persist for more than one month and not be related to other mental disorders. In the video presentation, the information given shows that the patient meets the criteria for diagnosis of this mental disorder. I also agree with the other diagnosis since the patient meets the diagnostic criteria for other mental conditions shown in the video.

Psychotherapy Treatment Option for The Client

            Prolonged exposure is a good treatment option for this patient and is also considered the gold standard. Symptoms of PTSD can be reduced by facing the fears instilled during trauma. Many patients tend to avoid memories related to the traumatic event, but this is not right because it reinforces fear. Therefore, cognitive behavioral therapies such as prolonged exposure should be encouraged to help the patient overcome fear (Kaczkurkin et al., 2022). This treatment option has four components which include common reactions to trauma and education that involves the choice of treatment, encouraging relaxation by retraining breathing, performing safe activities using an object that was involved in trauma and the ones that the patients try to avoid and counting memories of trauma that the patient is experiencing. Notably, evidence-based treatment is essential to the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner because it improves patient outcomes and quality of care.

The supporting articles are considered scholarly because they have been peer-reviewed, and the authors are experts in psychiatric conditions. Professional language has also been used to write the articles (Roseby et al., 2021). Consistently, the information provided in the reports has been cited to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the authors whose ideas have been borrowed. The information has also been quoted from dependable sources with a good reputation, making them reliable. Lastly, the articles have references that were obtained from credited libraries, and the authors are associated with reputable research institutions.

References

Forkus, S. R., Raudales, A. M., Rafiuddin, H. S., Weiss, N. H., Messman, B. A., & Contractor, A. A. (2023). The Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM–5: A systematic review of existing psychometric evidence. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 30(1), 110.

Kaczkurkin, A. N., & Foa, E. B. (2022). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience.

Roseby, S., & Gascoigne, M. (2021). A systematic review on the impact of trauma-informed education programs on academic and academic-related functioning for students who have experienced childhood adversity. Traumatology, 27(2), 149.

Schrader, C., & Ross, A. (2021). A review of PTSD and current treatment strategies. Missouri medicine, 118(6), 546.

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It is estimated that almost 7% of the U.S. population will experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their lifetime (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017). This debilitating disorder often interferes with an individual’s ability to function in daily life. Common symptoms of anxiousness and depression frequently lead to behavioral issues, adolescent substance abuse issues, and even physical ailments. For this Assignment, you examine a PTSD video case study and consider how you might assess and treat clients presenting with PTSD.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

To prepare:
• Review this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide about diagnosing and treating PTSD.
• View the media Presentation Example: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and assess the client in the case study.
• For guidance on assessing the client, refer to Chapter 3 of the Wheeler text. Chapter 3, “Assessment and Diagnosis”
• Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing.
• Note: To complete this Assignment, you must assess the client, but you are not required to submit a formal, comprehensive client assessment.

THE ASSIGNMENT
Succinctly, in 1–2 pages, address the following:
• Briefly explain the neurobiological basis for PTSD illness.
• Discuss the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for PTSD and relate these criteria to the symptomology presented in the case study. Does the video case presentation provide sufficient information to derive a PTSD diagnosis? Justify your reasoning. Do you agree with the other diagnoses in the case presentation? Why or why not?
• Discuss one other psychotherapy treatment option for the client in this case study. Explain whether your treatment option is considered a “gold standard treatment” from a clinical practice guideline perspective, and why using gold standard, evidence-based treatments from clinical practice guidelines is important for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners.
Support your Assignment with specific examples from this week’s media and at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources. Explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.

Required Media
• Grande, T. (2019, August 21). Presentation example: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkSv_zPH-M4
• Gift from Within. (Producer). (2008). PTSD and veterans: A conversation with Dr. Frank OchbergLinks to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/ptsd-and-veterans-a-conversation-with-dr-frank-ochberg
• Know & Grow with Dr. K. (2021, July 18). Does your child suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder? Links to an external site. (Strictly Medical-English Version). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o98ilXH5gto