Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Can we predict who develops it, improve treatment and find ways to prevent it?

Abstract: The impact of trauma is gaining increasing recognition, with the growing frequency of large-scale natural disasters and violent events. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can develop following traumatic events, yet humans are largely resilient and the usual response to trauma is one of recovery. A fundamental question is what predicts resilience and what predicts the development of PTSD? Identifying factors that predict PTSD and mechanisms that maintain it may help target our treatments more specifically to improve response to treatment. A recent research focus has been to search for potential ways to prevent the development of PTSD. This lecture will provide an overview of current research addressing these questions, and highlight recent findings showing clinical promise.

Speaker: Professor Kim Felmingham