Acute stress reaction
| Acute stress reaction | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | psychiatry |
| ICD-10 | F43.0 |
| ICD-9-CM | 308 |
| MeSH | D040701 |
Acute stress reaction (also called acute stress disorder, psychological shock, mental shock, or simply shock) is a psychological condition arising in response to a terrifying or traumatic event, or witnessing a traumatic event that induces a strong emotional response within the individual. It should not be confused with the unrelated circulatory condition of shock/ hypoperfusion, or the concept of shock value. Acute stress reaction may develop into delayed stress reaction (better known as PTSD) if stress is not correctly managed. ASR is characterized by re-living and avoiding reminders of an aversive event, as well as generalized hypervigilance after initial exposure to a traumatic event. ASD is differentiated from PTSD as a disorder that precedes it, and if symptoms last for more than one month, it will develop into PTSD. It can thus be thought of as the acute phase of PTSD.
"Acute stress response" was first described by Walter Cannon in the 1920s as a theory that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system. The response was later recognized as the first stage of a general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms.
The term ASR was first used to describe the symptoms of soldiers during World War I and II, and it was therefore also termed combat stress reaction (CSR). Approximately 20% of U.S. troops displayed symptoms of CSR during WW II, and it was assumed to be a temporary response of healthy individuals to witnessing or experiencing traumatic events. Symptoms include depression, anxiety, withdrawal, confusion, paranoia and sympathetic hyperactivity.
The APA officially included the term ASD in the DSM-IV in 1994, and prior to that, symptomatic individuals within the first month of trauma were diagnosed with adjustment disorder. According to the DSM IV, ASR refers to the symptoms experienced right after exposure to a traumatic event, up until 48 hours after it. In contrast, ASD is defined by symptoms experienced after 48 hours of the event, up until one month past the event. Symptoms experienced for longer than one month are consistent with a diagnosis of PTSD.
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