Firstly, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the challenging mental disorders that not only affects the way individuals think but also distinguish between both real as well as unreal occurrences. Notably, a mental illness refers to is a condition that affects human thinking, mood or feelings and may influence one’s ability to interact or relate to others in the society. However, every person has different experiences including those with the same diagnosis. In any society, there are many causes of mental problems such as accidents, body illnesses, among others. To ensure measurement and improvement of mental health of any population, it requires the recording of indicators that will capture the full spectrum of mental health. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder refers to a condition where an individual’s reaction to fears or threats is damaged (Beckner & Arden, 2008).
There are several signs and symptoms of PTSD. They can, however, be grouped into re-experiencing, avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms. Re-experiencing symptoms include having bad dreams, flashbacks and thoughts that are frightening. They cause everyday disturbance to an individual, mostly emanating from one’s feelings and thoughts (Beckner & Arden, 2008) . Avoidance symptoms manifest themselves though staying away from events, friends or places that remind him of experiences. They also include depression, worry, and guilt, as well as losing interest in some activities (Krippner et al., 2012) . Hyperarousal symptoms include being easily tensed and startled. One may have difficulty in sleeping or being angry most of the time.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Etiology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Apparently, as one of the severe neuropsychiatric diseases, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects about three percent of the whole population of the world. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by different positive as well as negative symptoms. Additionally, a wide variety of factors have been associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which include traumatic experiences, genetic, environmental and social and psychological processes among others. Based on genetic factors, it is critical to note that due to the advancements that have been made in the scientific measures including genome sequencing, researchers have been able to understand in a better way the genetic factors that are related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For example, experts have been able to discover specific genetic mutations which are directly associated with this disorder. Notably, no strong evidence or study shows that there is an increased risk of developing this disorder for individuals who have family members with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder compared to those without family histories of the disorder. In this way, the concordance rates of one developing this disease with a member of family having been a victim are incredibly high. For example, the concordance rate of identical twins has been shown to be close to twenty percent while for those whose two parents have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is about fifteen percent. Further, the frequency of getting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for those with one parent having the disease is 8 percent while fraternal twins have shown a concordance rate of six to ten percent. Notably, these rates indicate that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be inherited, but they also suggest that some other factors also influence its development. It is believed that due to the vulnerability of genes, individuals are likely to be predisposed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, whereby such vulnerability of genes is influenced by environmental stimuli. Additionally, some studies have shown that for one to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, there might be a combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental triggers.
Prognosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is experienced after one undergoes a traumatic situation in life such as war in the case of military officers. Several causes have been associated with PTSD. Genes that are responsible for the creation of fear memories are believed to contribute to PTSD (Beckner & Arden, 2008) . Scientists are focusing on studying Stathmin and GRP (gastrin-releasing peptide), which is a protein responsible for the formation of fear memories and a chemical released in the brain during emotional experience respectively (Krippner et al., 2012) . They believe that by studying such body elements, they will be in a position to find and refine new interventions and reduce the occurrence of PTSD. Further, some brain structures such as the amygdala, which are believed to play critical roles in learning, emotion, and memory, are being investigated to understand the cause of PTSD.
Notably, it is important to emphasize that currently there is no known cure for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, there have been significant development and effective treatments that are instrumental in reducing the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, decreasing recurrence of psychotic episodes, shortening the time of psychotic episodes, as well as generally offering many individuals suffering from the disorder the ability of leading more satisfying and productive lives (Mendley, 2015) . In this way, if one is provided with effective supportive counseling and proper therapy, the ability to live and function relatively well in communities for those suffering from psychotic is excellent thus giving hope and optimism for millions of people in the world. One of the biggest concerns has been that the rate of suicidal attempts for most of those who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is much higher compared to that of the general population (Mendley, 2015) . Studies have shown that the reason behind this reality has been known to be due to different factors such as fear, as well as feelings of hopelessness that occurs to individuals after they have gone through traumatic events in their lives including when they realize they have a serious, and life-threatening disorder.
Additionally, some of other factors that help in quick recovery to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder include having good professional and social adjustment before the onset of symptoms, insight, and awareness of the symptoms. The prognosis is usually favorable for those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder if they are consistently and quickly treated with good response to the treatment of this disorder.
Treatment of PSTD
Psychotherapy is the common treatment method for PSTD (Beckner & Arden, 2008) . There are several types of psychotherapies involved. However, the most considered therapy is the cognitive behavioral therapy, which includes cognitive restructuring and exposure therapies, as well as stress inoculation training. The objective of exposure therapy is to help an individual control fear through re-exposure to the experiences. On the other hand, cognitive restructuring helps in viewing memories in a more realistic manner, while stress inoculation training helps the victim in anxiety reduction.
The Impact of PSTD to Individuals and Society
Apparently, a study on statistical trends indicate that the cost of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on victims, families and the society is one of the worrying trends. Currently, in the United States, for example, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is considered one of the most chronic, debilitating, and costly mental disorders which consume close to $ 75 billion a year for family, societal direct treatment costs (Mendley, 2015) .
According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, more than fifty percent of the costs (close to $15 billion) in relation to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder entail direct treatment while the other fifty percent is on other factors such as caregivers, time spent from work, criminal justice and social services resources (Fuller, 2015) . Further, studies by the National Institutes of Mental Health have indicated that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder comes at the second position regarding the costs that are related to mental health and between one and four psychiatric hospital beds (Mebel, 2016) .
Additionally, since most patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may have difficulty in working, they are supported by their families and friends. In this way, families and close friends have been undergoing difficulties regarding finances making it one of the disorders that increase even stress to those taking care of the victims. In the United States, most of the people living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are financially supported for life through Medicaid as well as other public assistance frameworks ( Mebel, 2016) . Nevertheless, it is important to note that the greatest cost of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is the non-economic costs the individuals and their families suffer. As noted above, there is always a suicide risk that families and friends have to cope up with. At the same time, there are other effects such as being violent and exuding unnecessary misdemeanor.
Epidemiology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder disease usually can affect almost all individuals at any age (Fuller, 2015) . However, it has been shown that the problem is more prevalent as one gets older. At the same time, it also depends on the risk factors such as traumatic events that an individual may have encountered in the past. The reoccurrence or other events that make an individual remember them trigger the progress of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Additionally, it would be pivotal to note that men are likely to develop this disease earlier compared to women (Fuller, 2015) . Notably, men become affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder mostly from the ages of sixteen years, but the study has shown that most women show symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder some years later (Herly, 2009) . The evidence of this variance or diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has been associated with the fact that men are unable to accumulate traumatic events and that since women come across most of the traumatic events such as domestic violence, they are able to endure and get used to such occurrences compared to their men counterparts.
According to studies, it has been shown that the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is remarkably rare for those under the age of ten years of age (Fuller, 2015) . However, depending on one’s past traumatic events, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may be experienced at a later stage in life. Some studies have indicated that the poor people in the society are highly affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder since they are likely to go through horrible events in their life.
Around the globe, it has been shown that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is among the top ten causes of mental issues and disabilities in the developed and developing countries (Mendley, 2015) . The prevalence rate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder’s is approximately over three percent of the population over eighteen years of age. According to experts, at any given time, close to seventy million people have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder worldwide. Currently, it is estimated that in China, between ten to twenty million people have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder while in India, about seven to twelve million people are victims of this disorder at any given time. On the other hand, statistics indicate that close to four million in the United States have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and in Australia, the disease affects about six hundred thousand people (Fuller, 2015) . In both Britain and Canada, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is found in five hundred thousand people for each of these two countries. Notably, the number of individuals who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as mentioned is based on the approximated country’s total population.
Based on the level of healthcare services that are provided or available for people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, it has been noted that after ten years, of those that have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, close to thirty percent are able to recover fully and the same percentage shows tremendous improvement (Mendley, 2015) . However, ten percent of those diagnosed may end up dying due to lack of social support networks. The same statistics are observed after thirty years of diagnosis, but more than fifteen percent are likely to succumb from the disorder.
Conclusion
As noted above, evidence-based studies have shown that the primary element of having a successful recovery for people living with PTSD is early diagnosis as well as treatment. Based on these findings, it is advisable that any person with symptoms or signs that are consistent with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should consult a psychiatrist at the earliest opportunity.
References
Advokat, C. D., Comaty, J. E., & Julien, R. M. (2014). Julien's primer of drug action: A comprehensive guide to the actions, uses, and side effects of psychoactive drugs (13th Ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Beckner, V. L., & Arden, J. B. (2008). Conquering post-traumatic stress disorder: The newest
techniques for overcoming symptoms, regaining hope, and getting your life back .
Beverly, Mass: Fair Winds Press.
Fuller, G.Y. (2015). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 5 (69),
5583–6569.
Herly, G. H. (2009). The pharmacology of PTSD. Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Krippner, S., Pitchford, D. B., & Davies, J. (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder . Santa
Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.
Mendley, T. (2015). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 5 (64),
579–690
Mebel, H. (2016). The Impact of PTSD . Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 5 (64), 579–695
