Of the following statements, which is most indicative of developing posttraumatic stress
disorder?
a) Experiencing a personal injury
b) Having a prior mental disorder
c) Perception of the event as something that is a life threat
d) Severity of the trauma
Cindy Baxter is a 6 year-old little girl who witnessed a traumatic episode where her
babysitter was raped by an intruder. Cindys mother is relieved that her daughter was
unharmed. Which of the following behaviors would suggest that Cindy might be
experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder?
a) Plays normally with her toys
b) Expresses no fear when talking about the event
c) Takes the clothes off her dolls when playing
d) Has recurrent dreams about castles and being a princess
Ms. Holley is a first grade teacher who is concerned about one of her students, 6 year-old
Kara Steel. Each time the class goes on a field trip, Kara leaves the class group and
approaches strangers. It seems that Kara has a history of being placed in several different
foster homes over the past 3 years. Which of the following diagnoses best explains
Karas behavior?
a) Reactive attachment disorder
b) Disinhibited social engagement disorder
c) Acute stress disorder
d) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder