A delayed stress reaction to a prior incident is best described as which condition?

A delayed stress reaction to a prior incident is best described as which condition?

• A. Posttraumatic stress disorder
• B. Acute stress disorder
• C. Generalized anxiety disorder
• D. Adjustment disorder

Answer: (A)

Delayed onset after exposure to a traumatic event is characteristic of posttraumatic stress disorder. After the trauma, symptoms can emerge months later and endure for more than a month, causing significant problems in daily functioning. The hallmark clusters are intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of reminders, negative changes in thoughts and mood, and heightened arousal or irritability. This pattern—trauma exposure with a delayed, sustained constellation of symptoms—distinguishes PTSD from other conditions. Acute stress disorder, by contrast, occurs within days to about a month after the event and resolves within a short period. Generalized anxiety disorder involves chronic, pervasive worry not specifically tied to a prior traumatic incident. An adjustment disorder is emotional or behavioral distress in response to a identifiable stressor within a relatively short window and without the full trauma-related symptom pattern of PTSD.

Delayed onset after exposure to a traumatic event is characteristic of posttraumatic stress disorder. After the trauma, symptoms can emerge months later and endure for more than a month, causing significant problems in daily functioning. The hallmark clusters are intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of reminders, negative changes in thoughts and mood, and heightened arousal or irritability. This pattern—trauma exposure with a delayed, sustained constellation of symptoms—distinguishes PTSD from other conditions.

Acute stress disorder, by contrast, occurs within days to about a month after the event and resolves within a short period. Generalized anxiety disorder involves chronic, pervasive worry not specifically tied to a prior traumatic incident. An adjustment disorder is emotional or behavioral distress in response to a identifiable stressor within a relatively short window and without the full trauma-related symptom pattern of PTSD.