Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay

THE ASSIGNMENT:
Succinctly, in 1-2 pages, address the following:
Briefly explain the neurobiological basis for PTSD illness.
Discuss the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for PTSD and relate these criteria to the symptomology presented in the case study. Does the video case presentation provide sufficient information to derive a PTSD diagnosis? Justify your reasoning. Do you agree with the other diagnoses in the case presentation? Why or why not?
Discuss one other psychotherapy treatment option for the client in this case study. Explain whether your treatment option is considered a “gold standard treatment” from a clinical practice guideline perspective, and why using gold standard, evidence-based treatments from clinical practice guidelines is important for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners.
Support your Assignment with specific examples from this week’s media and at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources. Explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.
Submit your Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay Assignment. Also, attach and submit PDFs of the sources you used.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Neurobiological Basis of PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a strong neurobiological factor that is closely related to changes in the functionality and structure of the brain. PTSD primarily affects three major brain regions: The amygdala, hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala, which is involved in evaluating emotions, is overstimulated; therefore, the fear reaction is magnified, contributing to developing the underlying features (Boland et al., 2022). On the other hand, decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex is usually responsible for controlling emotional responses such as fear or stress (Al Jowf et al., 2023). Another area commonly affected is the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and the ability to put events into context, making distinguishing pre- and per-trauma conditions from the present ones challenging. Neurotransmitter dysregulation, mainly increased norepinephrine and cortisol, results in hyperarousal and chronic stress.

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DSM-5 TR PTSD Diagnostic Criteria

1. Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence (directly witnessing, learning about a traumatic event, or repeated exposure).
2. Intrusion symptoms associated with the trauma, such as distressing memories, nightmares, or flashbacks.
3. The person may strive to avoid trauma or related stimuli, avoiding reminders, thoughts, and feelings Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay.
4. The features negatively alter the client’s mood and cognitive patterns, resulting in feelings of self-blame, emotional disturbance, and reduced ability to perform activities.
5. Marked alterations in arousal and reactivity, like hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, irritability, or sleep disturbances.
6. Symptoms must last for at least a month and cause significant impairment to the independence, quality of life, and ability to perform activities of daily living
7. These features are not associated with substance abuse or any medical condition (Al Jowf et al., 2023).

The Video Case Study

From the video case study presented, the client fulfils most of the criteria for PTSD; for example, he went through a traumatic event and suffers from intrusions, distress, flashbacks, and hyperarousal. These symptoms correlate well with the DSM-5-TR criteria, and it appears that there are enough details that would lead to a PTSD diagnosis. Finally, the features depict alignment with core PTSD diagnostic features such as avoidance, negative emotion regulation, and fear responses, affirming that it is a central diagnosis. Overall, the diagnosis of PTSD is justified as the patient meets all the established criteria. As for the other diagnoses made in the case, I agree with the selected diagnosis since the client presents with typical PTSD features, including intrusion symptoms, hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviors. These features align with the underlying exposure to the underlying traumatic exposure, contributing to significant distress and decreased quality of life and independence Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay.

Psychotherapy Treatment Used in PTSD

Psychotherapy is one of the critical treatment approaches used in the management of PTSD to support resilience and coping with the underlying issues and needs. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the key therapeutic approaches commonly used to manage this disorder and supports the individual in attaining safe and efficient care (de Jongh et al., 2024). During EMDR, the client is encouraged to focus on distressing memories resulting from the traumatic experience while the therapist conducts bilateral stimulation through guided left-right eye movements. It is believed that this process can facilitate the reduction of the emotional impact of intrusive traumatic memories and change the nature of the traumatic memory so that its presence no longer causes distress (Burback et al., 2023). Multiple guidelines support the implementation of diverse psychotherapy approaches such as EMDR, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and prolonged exposure (PE) as evidence-based treatment approaches for managing these disorders and needs.

Implementing gold-standard, evidence-based treatments is very important for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners because it guarantees that clients will be provided with treatments that have been proven to be optimal (Boland et al., 2022). These treatments thus rely on evidence from research to improve the chances of good outcomes and reduce adverse effects, set a benchmark for medical practice, and adhere to the recommended processes and guidelines (de Jongh et al., 2024). In clients with PTSD, applying research-supported methods such as EMDR not only treats symptomatology but also strengthens rapport by offering treatments that work Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay.

Scholarly Nature of the Articles Used

Scholarly sources are considered credible because they are peer-reviewed, meaning they have undergone a rigorous evaluation process by other experts in the field to ensure quality and reliability. These sources are typically authored by professionals or researchers with extensive expertise in nursing and healthcare, ensuring that the information is evidence-based, accurate, and relevant to advanced practice and academic research.

References

Al Jowf, G. I., Ahmed, Z. T., Reijnders, R. A., de Nijs, L., & Eijssen, L. M. T. (2023). To predict, prevent, and manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A review of pathophysiology, treatment, and biomarkers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(6), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065238

Boland, R. J., Verduin, M. L., & Ruiz, P. (2022). Kaplan & sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry (12th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Burback, L., Brémault-Phillips, S., Nijdam, M. J., McFarlane, A., & Vermetten, E. (2023). Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: A state-of-the-art review. 21. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159×21666230428091433

De Jongh, A., de Roos, C., & El‐Leithy, S. (2024). State of the science: Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 37(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23012  Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay