Trauma and stressor-related disorders
Acute stress disorder, PTSD, complex PTSD, adjustment disorder and prolonged grief disorder, their time frames, trauma-focused psychological therapy as first line under the Phoenix Australia guidelines, the limited role of drugs, and PTSD after medical illness.
Tier 2Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- 5.6% of Australians had PTSD in the past 12 months (7.4% of females, 3.7% of males; ABS 2020 to 2022). Rates are higher after interpersonal violence, in refugees, veterans and first responders, and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities affected by intergenerational trauma.
- Physicians meet PTSD after ICU, cardiac arrest, ACS, ICD shocks, trauma, burns and family violence, and as unexplained symptoms, insomnia, substance use and poor adherence.
- Trauma-focused psychological therapy is first line. Drugs are second line, with a conditional recommendation for SSRIs and venlafaxine.
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Sources
- Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex PTSDAU/NZPhoenix Australia, NHMRC approved, 2020, update approved December 2021; NHMRC approvals valid 5 years (2020 approval lapsed June 2025)
- Phelps AJ et al. Australian guidelines for the prevention and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: updates in the third edition. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022;56:230-47AU/NZAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2022
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (NG116)National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2018
- Clinical practice guideline for the appropriate use of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorderAU/NZMonash University, 2025 (PDF link live, November 2026)
- Yong ASJ et al. Development of an Australian Clinical Practice Guideline on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. J Affect Disord 2025;391:119866AU/NZJournal of Affective Disorders, 2025
- MDMA and psilocybin: prescribing by authorised psychiatristsAU/NZTherapeutic Goods Administration, accessed November 2026
- Raskind MA et al. Trial of prazosin for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans. N Engl J Med 2018;378:507-17New England Journal of Medicine, 2018
- National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2020-2022AU/NZAustralian Bureau of Statistics, 2023
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR)American Psychiatric Association, 2022
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
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