PTSD is best described as which of the following?

PTSD is best described as which of the following?

• A. A prolonged and severe stress reaction to a scary event (chronic stress)
• B. An anxiety disorder with fear after trauma lasting less than a month
• C. Excessive worry about many things lasting six months or more
• D. A condition characterized by bodily symptoms with no medical explanation.

Answer: (A)

PTSD is a condition in which exposure to a traumatic event leads to a lasting and severe pattern of distress, with symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance, negative thoughts or mood, and heightened arousal that persist for more than a month and cause significant impairment. This combination of duration after a frightening experience and the specific symptom clusters is what makes it fit best as a prolonged, severe stress reaction to trauma. The other descriptions don’t fit as well: lasting less than a month aligns more with acute stress disorder, not PTSD; excessive worry about many things for six months points to generalized anxiety disorder; and bodily symptoms without a medical explanation suggest somatic symptom disorders.

PTSD is a condition in which exposure to a traumatic event leads to a lasting and severe pattern of distress, with symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance, negative thoughts or mood, and heightened arousal that persist for more than a month and cause significant impairment. This combination of duration after a frightening experience and the specific symptom clusters is what makes it fit best as a prolonged, severe stress reaction to trauma.

The other descriptions don’t fit as well: lasting less than a month aligns more with acute stress disorder, not PTSD; excessive worry about many things for six months points to generalized anxiety disorder; and bodily symptoms without a medical explanation suggest somatic symptom disorders.