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Home | Programs | Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Duration: 43 minutes

Program ID: 904p | Free (DVD Set includes Recovery from Trauma:What Works)

Traumatic events involve actual or threatened death or serious injury to self or others and evoke feelings of fear, helplessness or horror.  Up to 65 per cent of Australians are likely to experience or witness an event which threatens their life or safety, or that of others.  It could be a serious accident, physical or sexual assault, war, torture or a natural disaster.  

Most people recover after a traumatic event without serious problems. Some develop more severe and persistent symptoms like Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Approximately a quarter of a million Australians experience PTSD in any one year, with up to 5 per cent of the population having PTSD at some point in their lives.  Without effective treatment, PTSD can become a chronic and debilitating condition.  It carries a higher suicide risk than any other anxiety disorder.
 
The Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH) has developed the Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.  Addressing a mental health issue of national significance, the Guidelines were developed in collaboration with Australian experts in the field of posttraumatic mental health and peak professional bodies.  They are approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).  The Guidelines contain comprehensive but succinct recommendations.  They are designed for a range of multidisciplinary practitioners providing treatment of adults.
 
The program aims to improve practitioner and community knowledge regarding best practice approaches to the management of mental health conditions following trauma.  It demonstrates those approaches through three case studies relating to recent trauma, suspected or diagnosed PTSD and PTSD with comorbidity.  The program covers issues such as psychological first aid, screening, trauma-focussed therapy, medication and other comorbid disorders following trauma.

Program Presenters

  • Dr John Cooper - Psychiatrist, ACPMH
  • Ms Anne-Laure Couineau - Psychologist, ACPMH
  • Professor Mark Creamer - Director, Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH), Melbourne
  • Associate Professor David Forbes - Clinical Director, ACPMH
  • Ms Andrea Phelps - Clinical Psychologist, ACPMH
See details of presenters for this program

Learning Outcomes

  • Access and utilise the Guidelines easily and effectively
  • Identify the key diagnostic criteria for PTSD
  • Effectively screen and assess the signs and symptoms of posttraumatic stress syndromes
  • Demonstrate awareness of the recommended treatments for PTSD

Broadcast Dates

This program was first broadcast on the Foundation's satellite network on Tuesday 24 February 2009.

Funding Bodies

Produced in association with Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

Accreditation

This program is accredited or endorsed for CPD/CPE by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Royal College of Nursing Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Association.