Instructions:
– Essay to be written in in APA format.
– Maximum 1500 words and minimum 1350 words
– At least 5 sources-references
– Critically review, evaluate and analyse the research, methodologies, and theories/approaches relevant to the diagnosis, etiology and treatment of PTSD from this ‘biopsychosocial’ perspective.
To consider:
• Controversy surrounding the assessment and diagnosis of PTSD (neural vs. social causes)
• Controversy around PTSD has a sociological, psychological, and medical component
• Focus on the interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors
• Limitations regarding the research in this area
• Limitationsinherent in all research attempting to relate biology to behaviours, feelings, and psychological disorders: to what extent does identifying regions in the brain and relating these regions to particular behaviours constitute an explanation of these behaviours? Do pharmacological agents used to treat disorders actually target the underlying etiology, or do they merely affect the presenting symptoms?
Specific suggestions:
Diagnosis:
• What are the essential diagnostic features of the disorder?
• How is the disorder assessed?
• Does the condition cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty?
• What if the problem is caused by another mental disorder or general medical condition?
Etiology: – critically review the literature pertaining to the following broad components:
• Medical
• Biological
• pharmacological
• psychological
• sociological
Treatment:
• How is the disorder treated via medication/drugs?
• How is the disorder treated via psychological therapy?
• How do both of these relate back to their specific etiological models?