Criteria Guide
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder DSM Criteria Guide
Use this page when the goal is to focus quickly on the DSM-style structure for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
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Criterion A
- Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence occurs directly, by witnessing, by learning it happened to a close other, or through repeated exposure to aversive details in professional duties.
Criterion B
- One or more intrusion symptoms are present after the trauma, such as distressing memories, distressing dreams, dissociative reactions such as flashbacks, intense distress with reminders, or marked physiologic reactivity to reminders.
Criterion C
- Persistent avoidance of trauma-related stimuli is present, involving avoidance of memories-thoughts-feelings or avoidance of external reminders.
Criterion D
- Two or more negative changes in cognition or mood are present, such as inability to remember important aspects of the event, persistent negative beliefs, distorted blame, persistent negative emotional state, diminished interest, detachment, or inability to experience positive emotions.
Criterion E
- Two or more arousal or reactivity symptoms are present, such as irritability, reckless behavior, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle, poor concentration, or sleep disturbance.
Criterion F
- The disturbance lasts more than 1 month.
Criterion G
- The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment.
Criterion H
- The disturbance is not attributable to substances or another medical condition.