Running Head: CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 1
CLINICAL PHYSCHOLOGY 2
Clinical Psychology
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Student’s Name
Describe the problem (symptoms, etiology, and onset).
Post-traumatic stress disorder is the particular diagnosis from the DSMV. The mental disorder usually develops when an individual has gone through a traumatic incidence. Some of the traumatic occurrences that can cause result due to the onset of the mental disorder include accidents, natural disasters, warfare and as well as traumatic sexual harassments.
There are various symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Some of the common symptoms include mental disturbances, high levels of distress, nightmares, anxiety and high levels of irritability among others.
Overall prevalence information
Post-traumatic stress disorder is high among the African Americans (9.1%) compared to non-Hispanic whites (6.8%). Adults are more likely to develop the mental disorder compared to children and teenagers. 7.8% of adults are likely to develop Post-traumatic Stress disorder. Women are likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder compared to the men.
Prevalence information for ethnic differences
Regarding prevalence based on ethnic differences, research shows that blacks (8.7%) are at a higher risk of experiencing the mental disorder at one given point in their lives compared to other ethnic groups. The risk is lowest among the Asians (4.0%) and 7.0% among the whites.
Prevalence information for gender differences
Post-traumatic stress disorder is more prevalent in women that in men. According to the National Center for PTSD, women prevalence to the mental disorder is twice that of men. Approximately 10.4% of women are likely to develop the disorder compared to 7.8% of men.
A treatment plan
There are various types of treatment plans for post-traumatic stress disorder. The primary aims of post-traumatic stress disorder treatment plans include reduction of emotional attachments to the traumatic events as well as contributing to the overall improvement of the functioning of an individual.
The common treatment plans for this mental disorder include psychotherapy and use f medications. Sometimes, clinicians prefer using a combination of both psychotherapy and medication. Regarding medication, the doctors use antidepressants to control the depressive symptoms. Some of the antidepressants used include Elavil and Doxepin. Mood stabilizers are also commonly used. Other forms of medications are also used to reduce the formation and the effects of the traumatic events.
The other treatment plan that can be used is called psychotherapy. Different types of psychotherapy can be used. Some of the common ones include cognitive behavioral psychotherapy that aims at realigning the thoughts of the patients so that they do not lead to the formation of terrible feelings. Psychodynamic therapy is also used to help the individuals to recollect and carry out an examination of their personal values.
References
National Center for PTSD (U.S.). (2010). Understanding PTSD.
Thomas, P. (2008). Post-traumatic stress disorder. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books.
