Traumatic stress in general hospital psychiatry

Abstract

This article provides an overview of traumatic stress experienced in general hospital psychiatry. Individuals can experience traumatic stress directly in relation to accidents and physical diseases, or they may have experienced adverse childhood events that affect various current mental and physical problems. Healthcare professionals also can experience traumatic stress both in usual medical care and while providing disaster assistance. Traumatic stress among health care professionals is common in general hospitals, and even in cases where PTSD specific treatment cannot be implemented, incorporating appropriate psychoeducation and trauma-informed care into usual medical care can help people cope with traumatic stress. To engage in these efforts, it is important to be aware of traumatic stress for health care professionals in daily clinical practice.