[Post-traumatic stress disorders: diagnostic and therapeutic principles ].

Over 50 percent of the general population are exposed to a traumatic event at least once in their lives. Some but not all trauma survivors go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The diagnostic criteria of acute stress reaction, posttraumatic stress disorder, and enduring personality change after catastrophic experience are presented. PTSD should primarily be treated by means of psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral approaches, exposure therapy in particular, currently show the best evidence as effective treatments for PTSD. In addition to psychotherapy, psychopharmacological treatment may be indicated. Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors are the first-line psychoactive drugs for PTSD. Due to an increased risk of substance use disorders, benzodiazepines should only be used with caution. Finally, a number of predictors are reported that may help the clinician to identify patients at risk of developing PTSD.