Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress

In:

Submitted By bizilady
Words 1180
Pages 5
Running head: MENTAL HEALTH: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE 2
African Americans living in urban, low-income, impoverished environments are at high risk for exposure to traumatic events, and have a potential prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to previous and repeated trauma exposure.

African-Americans living in urban, low income communities with continuous exposure to community violence and previous personal trauma exposure, may have a higher prevalence of PTSD and other mental health disorders. As a result, living in these environments could increase the likelihood of poor social and developmental outcomes, including but not limited to increased anxiety, aggression, depression, and social withdrawal. There are numerous factors that contribute to this hypothesis: African Americans were six times more likely than Whites to be murdered or victimized (Fox & Zawitz, 2002). These include low socioeconomic status, trauma exposure, lack of cultural competency, lack of diversity in the mental health-care work force; the fragmentation of mental health services to include a mix of disparities in private plans’ coverage of mental health services, public insurance and safety net programs, federal laws, and financial barriers. Lack of trust for physicians and health care providers; exposure to urban stressors such as poverty, racism, and violence can also be barriers. In a previous study, researchers (Breslau, Chilcoat, Kessler & Davis (1999), examined the prevalence of PTSD in individuals exposed to previous trauma. The study showed that African Americans who reported previous trauma exposure were at a higher risk of experiencing PTSD than those that had no previous exposure. Another study (Alim, Graves, Mellman, Aigbogun, Gray, Lawson,

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Name Institutional Affiliation   Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder mostly develops after a person is exposed to a horrible or terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm, death, or any other threat (Dunkley et al., 2015). Therefore, I can argue out that it is a mental illness that develops after some traumatic events. However, not everyone who has experienced or witnessed some traumatic event has this disorder. Those who develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may at some point be the ones who were harmed, witnesses of harm that occurred to their loved ones or even strangers. Research shows that at some point, those who are victims of the disorder may experience stress and fear even when they are not in danger (Dunkley et al., 2015). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, develops in children, teens, as well as adults. Therefore, it does not have a limit because anyone can develop the disorder. However, adults have proved to experience severe signs and symptoms of the disorder compared with teens and children (Dunkley et al., 2015). Moreover, not everyone with PTSD has experienced or witnessed a terrifying event. However, adults are more likely to develop PTSD than children, particularly after a past trauma. Causes of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Research shows that PTSD is caused by the past exposure to the traumatic event. However, there are other causes of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder...

Words: 1766 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

...The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Name Professor Course Date The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) refers to the psychiatric disorders that occurs after the victim experiences or witnesses a life-threatening event including the military combat, serious accidents or the sexual assault (Kawakami, 2014). Some survivors of the trauma return to their normal state after some time. However, some victims may exhibit some stress reactions that they cannot solve on their own, which may worsen with time. Such individuals may develop the Posttraumatic disorder. In many instances, the victims of the PTSD relieve their experience through nightmares and flashbacks, making them have sleepless nights and feel estranged. The increased severity of the PTSD symptoms impairs the victim’s daily life and experiences. Social stigma refers to the situation where the members of the society disapprove some people or a group based on some social characteristics held by the victims. The socially disconnected person suffers from the stigma because of such disapprovals. In today’s world, veterans suffer from social stigma when people scapegoat them for executing orders for the decisions they did not make. The society unjustly blames the veterans for executing some atrocities whereas they have the obligation to obey such order without questions (Lee, 2013). Upon their return, the society treats them as social pariahs and attributes them to the deaths inflicted...

Words: 672 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

...The meaning of Post- traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) is a type of a mental illness that comes from a experiencing in a major traumatize event in life that can cause a victim to cope leaving them at the mercy of their worst fears. Most of the times that who has PTSD are this person who has served in the military. This person has dealing with particularly horrendous war and combat situation. There is much other type of life experiences that are blame to offset the PTSD. When the PTSD can be unexpected and cannot be controlled, which they are a type of candidate for PTSD. This type of illness not only impact on the person that has PTSD, it also affords other people that are dealing with the person who has PTSD. Example of these people who are there medical personnel giving care of the patients, family members, or co-workers. Some of the event that triggers the PTSD could become violent assault, a major accident such as sexual abuse, natural disaster, and rape, car crash ("Types Of Traumatic Events", 2009).History of the Illness The post traumatic stress disorder is a legitimate and can functional diagnose but is not the only answer to a trauma event. This type of disorder is frequency in the ordinary population is between 1-8%. This type of disorder is a type of linked with excessive rates of harm in the social and job-related operation. This type of disorder can be distinguished from a further psychiatric condition as a chemical substance in a living organisms...

Words: 1524 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

...Com/156 | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Persuasive Essay | Individuals suffering from post-dramatic stress disorder (PTSD) could find a great deal of relief in the facilities and support groups available throughout the country. Post-traumatic stress disorder has been an issue haunting Americans for generations; the lack of a viable cure also makes its common existence extremely dangerous. It’s understandable that victims and their family members would do anything to help this terrible mental disorder, and with modern medicine and psychiatric evaluation techniques; a sigh of relief can be taken. For years this condition has been seen a form of mild psychosis rather than a treatable medical condition, the instability involved in the victims of this illness isn’t easily ignored. The world around us is filled with terror and angst, so much that often the human mind tends to bend and break rather than adapt to these wild events. The effects of traumatic events vary from person to person and it isn’t without trail that studies begin to unravel what causes PTSD, and from that moment civilization has been on an evolutionary path to break down and understand what can be done to help. The most common association with PTSD is the mental state of soldiers returning from war, these individuals experience violent and graphic scenarios and often fall victim to instability in the mind. Events like going to prison and domestic abuse are also common factors in the acquisition of PTSD...

Words: 1537 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And our duty as Americans By: David Beach Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is something that you and your friends may not know much about. The truth is unless you have direct experience with soldiers who have participated in combat, or a situation of great tragedy, you may not have even heard of PTSD. Unfortunately PTSD is something that is overlooked by more than just the general population. The problem lies in the government and those responsible for the care of PTSD victims, specifically soldiers, because the funding and care needed simply isn’t there. PTSD is a fairly recent mental disease. Diagnosed and accepted officially in 1980s, it’s known that PTSD has been around for centuries. PTSD is an emotional illness that develops when a person is exposed to a highly dangerous, very terrifying, possibly life-threatening event. Obviously this disease tends to affect soldiers much more than the general population. Before recognized as a disease PTSD was looked down upon and soldiers were shunned for showing symptoms. This brought about a negative stereotype to PTSD that is still seen today. As Americans, shouldn’t we know better than that? Seriously, are we shunning the defenders of our country that are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice everyday they wake up? The American people can do better than that, and we owe it to our soldiers to eliminate this public negative stereotype. It will not be acceptable to see a similar Post-Vietnam...

Words: 882 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale

...Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) CNSL/526 May 11, 2012 Desirae Hutchinson, M.S., IMFT Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) The Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) is design for psychologists, SW, MFT, and counselors. This tool helps screen clients who suffer from PTSD, also known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This instrument created in 1997, the test measures the strength of symptoms “related to a single identified traumatic event” (US Department of Veterans Affairs, 2011, para. 1). The PDS is used on clients whose ages range from 18 to 65 years. The complete kit can cost $157 dollars. The administration time is typically 15 minutes or less (Pearson Assessments, 2012). The test can consist of 49 questions and can be given by a clinician or self administered. The PDS questioner can be used by clinicians, this will help the clinicians identify if client is suffering from PTSD, also known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The test was created for a professional or clinician to collect the data. This data will give the clinician inside on the clients feelings of a dramatic event that occurred in their life. Once the data is collected the clinician must make a decision on how to treat the situation. Clients who suffer from PTSD may be given prescribed medication to help them treat the PTSD. The clients who do not suffer from PTSD may be ruled out and guided accordingly. Some clients who are attach to a cultural stigma and are suffering from...

Words: 373 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Analysis

...remembering the terrifying sounds and sights of such a traumatic event are signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic...

Words: 881 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Analysis

...dimensions of treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR will be analysed in terms of its clinical efficacy and practical effectiveness utilizing extensive outcome literature and research. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a trauma and stressor related psychiatric condition that occurs through exposure to isolated or multiple traumatic events (Lake, 2012). Traumatic events mainly encompass direct or by proxy exposure to death, serious injury or sexual violation, such as sexual assault, car accidents, warfare, or natural disasters (Barlow & Durand, 2015). Symptoms The symptoms of PTSD...

Words: 1063 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Summary

...Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event. The video showed in class, I learned that not only do soldiers who have experienced war events have this mental health condition but witnesses as well. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety as well as uncontrollable thoughts about terrifying events. According to experts, a diagnosis we commonly associated with troubled military combat victims now fits thousands of people in our poorest neighborhoods, Post-traumatic stress disorder. Concentrated poverty exposed to violence, personal conflict or other disturbing’s shape out their experiences. For example, in the documentary they show Oakland as one of the most dangerous. There was Kari who struggled when her brother known to her as the closest father figure in the world, is affiliated with a gang. He was shot in the head and as a witness tried to help him out by holding of the splurging head shot. Miraculously he survived but Kari came out the hospital as a changed woman. She claimed that the situation changed her life, she developed an I don’t care attitude recurring to weed and alcohol to drown and forget...

Words: 648 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Annotated Bibliography On Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

... A new study supports what a small group of military researchers has suspected for decades: that modern warfare destroys the brain. (Worth). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a debilitating condition that occurs in people who have experienced or witnesses a natural disaster, serious accident, terrorist incident, sudden death of a loved one, war, violent personal assault such as rape, or other life-threatening events. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is diagnosed by its symptoms: flashbacks, isolation, hyper-arousal reactions including outbursts, avoiding situations that remind the event, not remember the event, loss of interest in activities a person used to enjoy, feeling irritable or angry,...

Words: 551 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in War Veterans

...POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN WAR VETERANS SC-PNG-0000009299 Alwin Aanand Thomson American Degree Program SEGi College Penang 1.0 INTRODUCTION Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen acute stress response. Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal—such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hyper vigilance. Formal diagnostic criteria in DSM-IV-TR require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (American Psychological Association). 2.0 DIAGNOSIS Criteria The diagnostic criteria for PTSD, stipulated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR), may be summarized as: A: Exposure to a traumatic event This must have involved both (a)...

Words: 2507 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Macbeth Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay

...Military service members who are and have been deployed to the middle east show high levels of emotional distress and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both active duty and reserve component soldiers who have experienced combat have been exposed to high levels of traumatic stress. We usually think of war injuries as being physical, although one of the most common war injuries is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the effects can be devastating. PTSD is an emotional illness classified as an anxiety disorder and usually develops because of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe event, PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing...

Words: 558 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Vietnam Veterans

...Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental illness that affects millions of Americans. PTSD is a disorder that develops when someone experiences a dangerous or scary even occurs. These events can be something like war, assault, or disaster. These leave metal scars in the person’s mind that can be triggered and can cause flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety. One of the most common causes of PTSD is war. This is because when you are in the military you are exposed to horrible and life-threatening experiences. 15 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans will experience PTSD and 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans will experience PTSD. This means that around 1,700,000 Vietnam veterans have experienced “clinically serious stress...

Words: 359 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Soldiers, Communities and Society

...NDIZIHIWE Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Soldiers, Communities, Societies From War Participation MARCH 2012 TABLE OF CONTENT PROLOGUE PART I POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER Part II: IMPACT ON THE INDIVIDUAL Part III: IMPACT ON FAMILY Part IV: IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY PART V: OVERCOMING POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER PART VI: DISCUSSION BIBLIOGRAPHY Post-Traumatic stress Disorders on Soldiers, Communities, Societies from War Participation Prologue A few years back when I was in Rwanda, it was no longer surprising to a attend a memorial ceremony and each time, all of a sudden, some women would start screaming:"They are coming for me!" as if they were being chased to death or men losing control and start shouting at another group of people:"You murderers!". We were used to this phenomenon but a newcomer would certainly creep out. For me, their reaction is perfectly understandable and tough I view it from my country's perspective and experience, post traumatic stress disorder is a global sociological and psychological issue that needs to be addressed. Conflicts inciting violence are still going on, some have ended but a large number of war survivors and victims are still haunted by the memories, they have experienced the worst situations humanly possible and if the issue is not addressed properly, trauma can be perpetual. Post traumatic...

Words: 4445 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Vietnam War Veterans

...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam War Veterans COMM/156 4/14/2013 Professor Marsha Parker PTSD is an anxiety disorder classified as a mental illness caused by exposure to terrifying or life threatening events. During the time of war, people get exposed to devastating experiences such as sexual abuse, witnessing murder of family members or familiar people, and other horrors of war. As a result, the victims suffer from mental disorders since the horrible experiences are forever ingrained in their mind. Bearing in mind that bad memories are rarely erased, the experiences can be compared to a horror movie that is often played in the mind and constantly frightens the victim to death. On one hand the victim celebrates survival but on the other hand the experiences haunt one through night mares or flashbacks. The victim remains constantly on edge and is easily startled. Some common feelings include intense guilt and some time numbness- all signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (TMP, 2012). A research finding by Bruce Dohrenwend and colleagues from New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia’s Letter Carrier School of Public Health, shows that traumatic experiences during war predicted the onset of PTSD in Vietnam veterans (Mikulak, 2013). We will examine the PTSD in Vietnam War veterans. Human existence has been always exposed to traumatic incidences of various kinds. For instance, attacks by lions or even the twentieth century terrorist attacks to...

Words: 1645 - Pages: 7