Who should be treated by mental health specialists?
DSM IV definition sets an entry criterion for considering an event to be traumatic in the context of making a diagnosis of PTSD-that is, an event that is life-threatening and in which one responds with a specific subjective response. However, it is not a good-enough definition of a traumatic event in that it is nonspecific and does not address the mechanisms of mental traumatization. Extreme events may traumatize people in many different ways. Concrete elements of traumatic events that increase the risk for PTSD include: • Threat to one’s life or body integrity. • Severe physical harm or injury. • Intentional injury or harm. • Exposure to the grotesque. • Witnessing or learning of violence to loved ones. • Causing death or severe harm to another. The severity of traumatic events is related to them being intense, inescapable, uncontrollable, and unexpected. Traumatic events can also be defined as those exceeding the person’s coping resources or breaking his or her protective defenses.
