Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): An Overview

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex mental disorder with psychological and emotional components, caused by exposure to single or repeated extreme traumatic events found in war, terrorist attacks, natural or man-caused disasters, and by violent personal assaults and accidents. In recent years, armed conflicts in the Middle East have resulted in high rates of exposure to traumatic events. Despite the increasing demand of mental health care provision, ongoing violence limits conventional approaches of mental health care provision. Internet-based interventions for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have proved feasible and effective in Western countries, but their applicability and efficacy in war and conflict regions remains unknown. Despite clinical studies and improved understanding of the mechanisms of cellular damage, prevention and treatment strategies for patients with PTSD remain unsatisfactory. Post traumatic stress disorder is a prevalent mental health problem associated with substantial psychiatric morbidity. To develop an improved plan for treating and impeding progression of PTSD, it is important to identify underlying biochemical changes that may play key role in the initiation and progression of these disorders.