Acute stress disorder

Acute stress disorder (ASD, also known as acute stress reaction, psychological shock, mental shock, or simply shock) is a psychological response to a terrifying, traumatic, or surprising event. The American Psychiatric Association first introduced it to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders in 1994.

Acute stress disorder is not fatal, but it may bring stress if not treated.^[1][2] ASD typically occurs within one month of a traumatic event. It lasts at least three days and can persist for up to one month. People with ASD have symptoms similar to those seen in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Patients with acute stress disorder may benefit from psychological first aid. This offers practical assistance; and helping the patient get social support and other services.^[3]

1. ↑ Isaac, Jeff. (2013). Wilderness and rescue medicine. Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN 9780763789206. OCLC 785442005.
2. ↑ Reynaud, Emmanuelle; Guedj, Eric; Trousselard, Marion; El Khoury-Malhame, Myriam; Zendjidjian, Xavier; Fakra, Eric; Souville, Marc; Nazarian, Bruno; Blin, Olivier; Canini, Frédéric; Khalfa, Stephanie (2015). "Acute stress disorder modifies cerebral activity of amygdala and prefrontal cortex". Cognitive Neuroscience. 6 (1): 39–43. doi:10.1080/17588928.2014.996212. PMID 25599382. S2CID 12378221.
3. ↑ "Diagnosing Stress and the Associated Disorders". Extras. 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21.