Trauma and Stressor-Related
Disorders
PSYC 3140
MAY 28, 2014
Stress and Stress-Responses
 Stressors:
 rush-hour, college graduation, poor health, tornado
 Stress-response to perceived threatening stressor:
 Arousal
 Fear:
(physical) muscle tension, heart racing
 (emotional) horror, panic
 (cognitive) poor concentration, overestimation of threat

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: DSM-5 Checklist
Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious
injury, or sexual violation; exposure results from:
1.

Direct experience

Witnessing the event in-person

Learning of the event occurring to a close loved one

First-hand repeated or indirect exposure to aversive details
of event
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: DSM-5 Checklist
2.
One or more intrusive symptoms
3.
Persistent avoidance of traumaassociated stimuli
4.
Negative changes in cognitions
and mood
5.
Significant changes in arousal and
reactivity
6.
Significant distress and/or
impairment; symptoms last more
than 1 month
Activity
 View selections of PTSD case study

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko6a3nNSonY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fyf1LeX2nU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bqLKXmdDuE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnOLhXmhkyA
Activity
 Small groups:

Identify symptoms demonstrated in the video clips

Brainstorm any additional PTSD-related symptoms displayed
by Bruce Wayne/Batman (not shown in the clips)
At-a-Glance PTSD Criteria
1.
Exposure to traumatic event
2.
Intrusions/re-experiencing
3.
Avoid trauma-related stimuli
4.
Cognition and mood changes
5.
Arousal and reactivity changes
6.
Impairing symptoms last > 1 month
References
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Posttraumatic stress
disorder [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from
http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/PTSD%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Williams, S.T. (2012). ‘Holy PTSD, Batman!:’ An analysis of the
psychiatric symptoms of Bruce Wayne. Academic Psychiatry, 36(3),
252-255. doi: 10.1176/appi.ap.36.3.252