Acute stress disorder causes
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Simrat Sarai, M.D. [2]
Overview
Acute stress disorder may be caused by either experiencing, witnessing, or being confronted with one or more traumatic events.[1][2][3][4]
Causes
Traumatic events that can cause acute stress disorder include the following:[5][6][7][8]
- Directly experiencing the traumatic event,
- Witnessing the traumatic event
- Being confronted with one or more traumatic events
Approximately 6 to 33 percent of people who experience a traumatic event develop ASD. This rate varies based on the nature of the traumatic situation
| Traumatic event | Type of traumatic event | Example of traumatic event |
|---|---|---|
| Traumatic events experienced directly, but not limited to | Exposure to war as a combatant or civilian | |
| Threatened or actual violent personal assault | Sexual violence, physical attack , active combat, mugging, childhood physical and/or sexual violence, being kidnapped being taken hostage, terrorist attack, torture
For children, sexually traumatic events may include inappropriate sexual experiences without violence or injury | |
| Natural or humanmade disasters | Earthquake, airplane crash, hurricane | |
| Medical incidents | Sudden, catastrophic events such as waking during surgery, anaphylactic shock
A severe life-threatening illness or debilitating medical condition is not necessarily considered a traumatic event | |
| Severe accident | Severe motor vehicle, industrial accident | |
| Traumatic events witnessed, but not limited to | Observing threatened or serious injury | |
| Unnatural death | ||
| Physical or sexual violence inflicted on another individual as a result of violent assault | ||
| Severe domestic violence | ||
| Severe accident | ||
| War | ||
| Disaster | ||
| Witnessing a medical catastrophe involving one’s child | A life-threatening haemorrhage | |
| Being confronted with one or more traumatic events | ||
| Traumatic events experienced indirectly through learning about the event are limited to close relatives or close friends | Events must have been violent or accidental
Death due to natural causes does not qualify When the stressor is interpersonal or intentional ( e.g, torture, rape), the disorder may be especially severe The likelihood of developing this disorder may increase as the intensity of and physical proximity to the stressor increase |
violent personal assault, suicide , serious accident, or serious injury |
| Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic events | Child abuse, death | First responders collecting human remains, police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse |
References
- ↑ Bryant, Richard A., et al. “A review of acute stress disorder in DSM‐5.” Depression and anxiety 28.9 (2011): 802-817.
- ↑ Classen, Catherine, et al. “Acute stress disorder as a predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms.” American Journal of Psychiatry (1998).
- ↑ Elklit, Ask, and Dorte M. Christiansen. “ASD and PTSD in rape victims.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2010).
- ↑ Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders : DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Print.
- ↑ Bryant, Richard A., et al. “A review of acute stress disorder in DSM‐5.” Depression and anxiety 28.9 (2011): 802-817.
- ↑ Classen, Catherine, et al. “Acute stress disorder as a predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms.” American Journal of Psychiatry (1998).
- ↑ Elklit, Ask, and Dorte M. Christiansen. “ASD and PTSD in rape victims.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2010).
- ↑ Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders : DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Print.
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