Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Acute stress disorder causes
Introduction
Overview
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
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
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.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Simrat Sarai, M.D. [2]