Prevention of post traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of war

Abstract EN

This paper examines a traditional model of PTSD prevention addressed at three levels : (1) primary-preventing exposure to trauma, (2) secondary-preventing the development of PTSD immediately after trauma exposure and (3) tertiary–preventing the worsening of PTSD.

The psychological profile that emerges from Iraq’s experience of war and sanctions offers insight as well as challenges for the debate as to whether PTSD is preventable.

Costs associated with many pharmacological and psychosocial approaches, for example, may render prevention a low priority for funding.

Further, while the DSM-IV provides a psychiatric framework for single-trauma exposure in its description of PTSD some note that ‘it fails to capture the full range of disruption caused by multiple and repeated exposures.’ These are important considerations in the aftermath of war when trauma-related disorders are likely to be a greater public health concern than in the years that preceded it.