Based on the current research, which of these treatments would be LEAST appropriate to recommend for a patient with PTSD?Group of answer choicesEye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)MDMA-assisted psychotherapyNone of the other answers - Each of these treatments would be equally appropriate

Which of the following forms of treatment would be used only as a last resort to help patients with severely debilitating psychological disorder?Multiple Choicedrug therapypsychoanalysiscognitive therapypsychosurgery

Which of the following disorders are considered a precursor to PTSD?

Treatmenti. List 2 evidence-based psychological treatments for the disorder (not medications)ii. Please discuss at least three empirical articles (for each treatment) with findings foreach one to support the scientific investigations for these treatments.iii. From what you know about the character, how might they make use of thesestreatments? What modifications, might you make in light of the particularpsychosocial history, current life situation, and emotional needs of this character?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) both involve an exaggerated response to everyday stressors and a heightened state of anxiety or arousal that can impede concentration and daily functioning.  Both can be effectively treated with medication, including anxiolytics and antidepressants, and with therapy, the most effective of which is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).  Psychologists believe that the unpredictable nature of stressors plays a key role in the development and persistence of both disorders.  However, the response to predictable threats is believed to be normal.A study was conducted to investigate how individuals diagnosed with PTSD or GAD respond to predictable and unpredictable threats.  Twenty patients with PTSD, 20 patients with GAD, and 50 control participants took part in the study.  The groups did not differ significantly with respect to age or gender.  The study involved two conditions, each three minutes in duration.  During the first (predictable) condition, participants were shown a cue (red box) at random times while gazing through a viewing apparatus.  The cue signaled the imminent presentation of various loud noises such as thunder or screaming, meant to induce fear.  During the second (unpredictable) condition, the loud noise was presented randomly with no warning.The magnitude of the participants' startle response was measured by an eye blink reflex recorded with electrodes placed under the eyes (measured in microvolts [Table 1]).Table 1  Mean Startle Response in Microvolts by Group and ConditionPredictable UnpredictableControl 14 19PTSD 15 43GAD 18 37After the study, participants were asked to rate their subjective fear on a scale of 0 (no fear) to 10 (most fear).  The controls reported the least fear under both conditions.  PTSD participants expressed greater fear than GAD participants during the unpredictable condition, but GAD participants reported greater fear than PTSD participants during the predictable condition.C. Grillon, D. S. Pine, S. Lissek, S. Rabin, and M. Vythilingam ©2009 by Society of Biological Psychiatry. Question 16What is the main difference between GAD and PTSD?A.People with PTSD tend to hallucinate, whereas people with GAD do not.B.PTSD requires a long and consistent history of adjustment problems; GAD does not.C.PTSD requires a precipitating event to bring about the disorder; GAD does not.D.People with PTSD worry about a wide range of events; people with GAD worry about specific events.

Which of the following provides the most accurate information about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in response to sexual assault?Group of answer choicesA rape victim may experience PTSD, including feeling extremely anxious or even emotionally numb following the assault.Unfortunately, PTSD is an extremely persistent disorder, and more than half of all rape victims will still have PTSD more than a year after the assault.PTSD wipes away a woman’s memory of the rape, and she will not be able to recall the event until about a year after the assault.Unfortunately, PTSD cannot be treated with traditional psychotherapies; however, techniques that require hypnosis appear to be effective.