What are the DSM-5 criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder?

• A. Exposure to a traumatic event with intrusion symptoms, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition/mood, and alterations in arousal; duration >1 month; clinically significant distress or impairment.
• B. Only intrusion symptoms.
• C. Only avoidance.
• D. Duration less than one month.

Answer: (A)

The main concept being tested is the full set of DSM-5 criteria needed to diagnose PTSD, not just one symptom cluster. PTSD requires exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, and this exposure can be through Direct experience, witnessing, learning that it happened to a close other, or repeated/extreme exposure to details (such as first responders). Beyond that, there must be a combination of symptoms across several domains: intrusion (recurrent distressing memories or dreams, dissociative reactions, intense distress or physiological reactions to reminders), avoidance (of distressing memories or external reminders), negative changes in cognitions and mood (inability to remember aspects of the event, negative beliefs, distorted blame, persistent negative emotional state, diminished interest, detachment, inability to experience positive emotions), and alterations in arousal and reactivity (irritability, reckless behavior, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle, concentration or sleep problems). These symptoms must persist for more than one month and cause clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning. Finally, the disturbance is not attributable to substances or another medical condition. The option that includes all of these elements—trauma exposure, multi-domain symptoms, duration over one month, distress/impairment, and exclusion of substances/medical conditions—best fits the DSM-5 criteria. Choices that mention only intrusion, or only avoidance, or that specify a shorter duration, don’t capture the full diagnostic picture.