The article “Posttraumatic stress disorder: Overview of evidence-based assessment and treatment” by Lancaster et al. (2016) explores past studies on the epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Additionally, it explores the associated risk factors of PTSD, the disease’s characteristics, and the evidence-based measures that can be relied upon in screening and monitoring its symptoms over time. The review revealed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the pharmacotherapies with the most significant evidence base regarding the treatment of PTSD. The discontinuation of this pharmacotherapy is characterized by relapse (Lancaster et al., 2016).
I have learned that diagnosing a disease is central to medical practice. It allows physicians to identify specific aspects of diseases based on accuracy measures to help generate posttest probabilities. In the case of PTSD, physicians must understand the diagnostic criteria, as this helps determine whether a patient portrays the symptoms of the disease. Additionally, I have learned that assessing diseases is crucial to their treatment. Physicians must thoroughly assess PTSD to identify effective treatment options. Various therapies exist that can be relied upon to treat PTSD; however, the choice of a therapy is determined by the symptoms presented by a patient.
Regarding my future professional work, the research will help ensure that I conduct a thorough assessment of PTSD to determine effective treatment options for specific patients based on the symptoms they present. I will incorporate the reliance on eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy to treat PTSD because this therapeutic method has massive empirical support for its effectiveness. I will ensure that I conduct a thorough examination of my patients’ symptoms to determine whether the therapeutic method is the best in treating PTSD based on these symptoms.
References
Lancaster, C. L., Teeters, J. B., Gros, D. F., & Back, S. E. (2016). Posttraumatic stress disorder: Overview of evidence-based assessment and treatment. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 5(11), 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm5110105
