Decoding PTSD: Diagnostic Assessment

Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toledo

Key Points

  1. Mark’s symptoms following a traumatic event and comprehensive diagnostic interviews suggested PTSD as a primary diagnosis.
  2. The diagnostic criteria for PTSD include symptom persistence of more than one month and the presence of symptoms across four clusters: intrusive experiences, avoidance behaviors, changes in cognition and mood, and hyperarousal.
  3. Major depressive disorder was considered as a differential diagnosis, but ruled out because Mark’s symptoms were directly related to the traumatic event and better explained by PTSD.
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Initial Sessions

Information was gathered from Mark during the first and second therapy sessions through a comprehensive diagnostic interview and a review of his personal history. The objective was to determine his diagnosis based on his experiences and the symptoms that emerged after a traumatic event. The primary consideration was post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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