Appendix A

DSM-III
Diagnostic criteria for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

1. Existence of a recognizable stressor that would evoke significant symptoms of distress in almost anyone.
2. Re-experiencing of the trauma as evidenced by at least one of the following:
   1. Recurrent and intrusive recollections of the event
   2. Recurrent dreams of the event
   3. Sudden acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were reoccurring, because of an association with an environmental or ideational stimulus
3. Numbing of responsiveness to or reduced involvement with the external world, beginning some time after the trauma, as shown by at least one of the following:
   1. Markedly diminished interest in one or more significant activities
   2. Feeling of detachment or estrangement from others
   3. Restricted affect
4. At least two of the following symptoms that were not present before the trauma:
   1. Hyperalertness or exaggerated startle response
   2. Sleep disturbance
   3. Guilt about surviving when others have not, or about behavior required for survival
   4. Memory impairment or trouble concentrating
   5. Avoidance of activities that arouse recollection of the traumatic event
   6. Intensification of symptoms by exposure to events that symbolize or resemble the traumatic event

• American Psychiatric Association. (1980). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (3rd ed.) Washington, DC: Author. p. 238