An Overview of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Course overview

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, was once primarily associated with the survivors of military combat. Now PTSD is recognized as affecting people who have experienced various types of physical and psychological traumas. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD (n.d.) estimates that at some point during their lives, about 6% of the U.S. population will suffer from PTSD. Most overcome their trauma responses without formal intervention. Others, however, experience persistent symptoms that impact an individuals functioning and need formal intervention.