PTSD
Medical abbreviation · Mental Health & Psychiatry
| Stands for | Post-traumatic stress disorder |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
PTSD stands for Post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health & psychiatry abbreviation.
Mental health condition that can follow exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence, with intrusive memories or nightmares, avoidance of reminders, negative changes in thoughts and mood, and heightened arousal lasting more than a month. Trauma-focused psychotherapies are first-line treatment.
Example: PTSD after IED blast 2019, PCL-5 score 54; start cognitive processing therapy and sertraline.
Usage notes
PTSD entered the DSM in 1980, largely through advocacy by Vietnam veterans; earlier names included "shell shock" in World War I and "combat fatigue" in World War II. About 6 in 100 Americans experience PTSD at some point, and women are affected about twice as often as men. Recommended therapies include cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure and EMDR, and sertraline and paroxetine are FDA-approved. In 2024 the FDA declined to approve MDMA-assisted therapy. DSM-5 moved PTSD from the anxiety disorders to a new chapter on trauma- and stressor-related disorders.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- PHP – Partial hospitalization program
- PHQ-2 – Patient Health Questionnaire-2
- PHQ-9 – Patient Health Questionnaire-9
- PMDD – Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- PND – Postnatal depression
- PPD – Postpartum depression
- RAD – Reactive attachment disorder
- SA – Suicide attempt
- SAD – Seasonal affective disorder
- SBIRT – Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment
- SCZ – Schizophrenia
- SI – Suicidal ideation
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.