Post-traumatic stress disorder in primary care practice.

PURPOSE: To provide clinicians in primary care settings with guidelines on evaluation, diagnosis, and management of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

DATA SOURCES: Research-based articles in the medical and psychiatric literature, review articles, and diagnostic criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD is a disorder where psychological and physiological reactions are closely related. Populations at risk include survivors of motor vehicle accidents, natural and man-made disasters, torture, and childhood sexual abuse, as well as combat veterans.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Patients with a history of recent trauma should be targeted for early screening and intervention. Effective treatment of PTSD is a three-stage process consisting of stabilization of symptoms, processing of traumatic perceptions, and integration of trauma into the patient's world- and self-view.