PSTD Assessment

Assessment is a critical part of diagnosis and treatment of PTSD.  Not only does it help to establish the diagnosis itself, but it also provides a baseline for symptom severity so that your progress or deterioration associated with treatment can be measured.  Assessment may be either non-standardised or standardised.

Two types of non-standardised assessment are commonly used.

• Self-monitoring of difficulties and symptoms is a common and useful form of assessment.  As the patient, you will be asked to keep a record of the occurrence of behaviours such as nightmares or angry outbursts.  You may be required to keep a note of the date and time, the situation, your thoughts at the time and your emotional reactions during the occurrence of the symptoms.
• Clinical interviews are often used as an assessment technique.  They usually include a general psychosocial assessment including your personal history of any problems, previous treatments and outcomes, family difficulties and how you are functioning in either education or work.  Specific details of the traumatic experience and your response to it are then recorded.

Standardised assessments have several advantages over non-standardised.  These include efficiency and reliability in measurement of symptom severity and change.  Most of them use a scale to make an initial assessment and to record changes during treatment.  Standardised assessments may be carried out, either by clinician interview or by self-reporting.