Post-traumatic stress disorder: diagnostic issues and epidemiology in adult survivors of traumatic events

Abstract

This paper presents a review of the issues surrounding the diagnosis and epidemiology of post-traumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of traumatic events. The paper is presented in two sections. First, the diagnostic category of post-traumatic stress disorder as defined by the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 is reviewed. Issues to do with differential diagnosis, comorbidity and the validity of the three symptom clusters are examined in the light of recent empirical evidence. Second, recent epidemiological data is presented as it relates to five pertinent questions of epidemiological research.