TTC PTSD Assessment & Diagnosis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A trauma survivor endorses recurrent distressing dreams related to the traumatic event. Under DSM-5, this symptom falls under which criterion?
- Criterion B – Intrusion symptoms (Correct answer)
- Criterion C – Avoidance
- Criterion D – Negative cognitions
- Criterion E – Hyperarousal
Correct answer: Criterion B – Intrusion symptoms
Recurrent distressing dreams related to the trauma are classified as an intrusion symptom under Criterion B of DSM-5 PTSD criteria.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT a required feature for a DSM-5 PTSD diagnosis?
- Direct exposure to a traumatic event or learning it happened to a close person
- Persistent avoidance of trauma-related stimuli
- At least one month of symptom duration
- Co-occurring major depressive episode (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Co-occurring major depressive episode
A comorbid major depressive episode is common with PTSD but is not required for the diagnosis; PTSD has its own distinct criteria.
Question 3: The Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5) is primarily used to assess which component of PTSD evaluation?
- Symptom severity across the four PTSD clusters
- Trauma history and qualifying traumatic event exposure (Correct answer)
- Functional impairment caused by PTSD symptoms
- Dissociative features associated with PTSD
Correct answer: Trauma history and qualifying traumatic event exposure
The LEC-5 is a self-report measure designed to screen for potentially traumatic events across 17 categories, establishing Criterion A exposure.
Question 4: In a differential diagnosis between PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), which symptom is more distinctive of PTSD?
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
- Fear of abandonment
- Trauma-specific flashbacks and nightmares (Correct answer)
- Identity disturbance
Correct answer: Trauma-specific flashbacks and nightmares
Trauma-specific flashbacks and nightmares are hallmark intrusion symptoms of PTSD and are not core features of BPD.
Question 5: Which structured clinical interview assesses both current and lifetime PTSD diagnoses according to DSM-5 criteria?
- SCID-5 (Correct answer)
- PHQ-9
- GAD-7
- PCL-5
Correct answer: SCID-5
The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) is a comprehensive diagnostic tool that evaluates current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses including PTSD.
Question 6: A client shows hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and sleep disturbance following a traumatic event. Which DSM-5 criterion cluster captures these symptoms?
- Criterion B – Intrusion
- Criterion C – Avoidance
- Criterion D – Negative alterations in cognition and mood
- Criterion E – Alterations in arousal and reactivity (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Criterion E – Alterations in arousal and reactivity
Hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and sleep disturbance are all symptoms within Criterion E, which covers alterations in arousal and reactivity.
Question 7: When PTSD symptoms appear six or more months after the traumatic event, which DSM-5 specifier applies?
- Chronic specifier
- Delayed expression specifier (Correct answer)
- Complex PTSD specifier
- Dissociative specifier
Correct answer: Delayed expression specifier
DSM-5 uses the 'with delayed expression' specifier when the full diagnostic criteria are not met until at least 6 months after the trauma.
TTC PTSD Assessment & Diagnosis 3
A trauma survivor endorses recurrent distressing dreams related to the traumatic event.
Under DSM-5, this symptom falls under which criterion?