Problem:
Reduce: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR), PTSD is characterized by four symptom clusters: intrusion symptoms (e.g., flashbacks or nightmares), avoidance of trauma-related reminders, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and marked changes in arousal and reactivity, including hypervigilance, irritability, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms must persist for more than one month, cause clinically significant distress, and substantially impair social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022). In contrast, adjustment disorders develop in response to an identifiable life stressor rather than a traumatic event involving threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Symptoms begin within three months of the stressor and involve emotional or behavioral distress that exceeds what would typically be expected; however, they do not include the hallmark PTSD symptom clusters of intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, or hyperarousal (Gray, 2024). Additionally, adjustment disorder symptoms generally improve once the stressor or its consequences have resolved, whereas PTSD symptoms often persist without appropriate treatment and may become chronic if left unaddressed (APA, 2022; Gray, 2024). Need Assignment Help?