Massive traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence, or serious injury. Individuals with PTSD may have impairments in aspects of their psychological, physical, interpersonal, and occupational lives. PTSD usually has a chronic course and causes disruptions in the general and social functioning of the person. PTSD can be both underdiagnosed and overdiagnosed in clinical settings. There are clear differences in the clinical approach to PTSD cases and the forensic perspective. The medicolegal approach is different from the clinical viewpoint. Psychiatrists are frequently asked for evaluations of traumatic events in civil and criminal matters. Psychiatrists are asked to evaluate if the traumatic event caused or contributed to a psychiatric disorder or a functional impairment. They are also asked to make a distinction between causal and contributing factors. In addition, the factors that contribute to the person's current mental state and functionality should be well reviewed, and a possible malingering should not be overlooked. This chapter will review the clinical and ethical implications in evaluating patients with PTSD in a forensic setting. © 2021 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.