NU 665C REGIS COLLEGE FINAL PAPER 2025/2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
What are the core symptom clusters of PTSD according to DSM-5-TR? - ✔✔Intrusion
Symptoms - Flashbacks, nightmares, distressing memories
Avoidance - Avoiding trauma-related thoughts, places, people
Negative Alterations in Cognition & Mood - Guilt, emotional numbing, distorted blame
Alterations in Arousal & Reactivity - Hypervigilance, irritability, startle response
✔✔What factors increase the risk of developing PTSD after trauma exposure? - ✔✔Pre-
trauma: Childhood abuse, genetic predisposition, pre-existing mental illness
Peri-trauma: Severity of trauma, perceived threat to life, dissociation during trauma
Post-trauma: Lack of social support, additional life stress, maladaptive coping
✔✔How do PTSD symptoms differ between children and adults? - ✔✔Children: More
likely to experience nightmares without clear trauma content, re-enact trauma in play,
show new fears, and have behavioral regression.
Adults: More verbal about distress, experience avoidance and hyperarousal, and have
higher risk of comorbid conditions like substance use and depression.
✔✔What screening tools are commonly used for diagnosing PTSD? - ✔✔Primary Care
PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD-5) - Short 5-item screener
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) - Self-report symptom measure
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) - Gold standard for diagnosis
✔✔What are the primary treatment options for PTSD, and how effective are they? -
✔✔Psychotherapy:Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) - Highly effective for reducing
symptomsProlonged Exposure Therapy (PE) - Helps with avoidance symptomsEMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) - Reduces distress
Medications:SSRIs/SNRIs - First-line pharmacological treatmentPrazosin - Helps with
nightmares and hyperarousal
Effectiveness: Psychotherapy + medications often provide best outcomes
✔✔What is the clinical presentation of DID, and how does it differ from PTSD? - ✔✔DID
Symptoms:Presence of two or more distinct identity statesAmnesia (gaps in memory not
explained by normal forgetting)Identity disruption (marked changes in affect, behavior,
perception)
Differences from PTSD:DID involves identity fragmentation, whereas PTSD focuses on
trauma-related fear and hyperarousalDID has more severe dissociation and amnesia
than PTSD
✔✔What are the three phases of DID treatment, and what is the goal of each phase? -
✔✔Phase 1: Stabilization - Safety, symptom management, emotional regulation
Phase 2: Trauma Processing - Gradual integration of traumatic memories
Phase 3: Integration - Strengthening identity, improving daily functioning
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
What are the core symptom clusters of PTSD according to DSM-5-TR? - ✔✔Intrusion
Symptoms - Flashbacks, nightmares, distressing memories
Avoidance - Avoiding trauma-related thoughts, places, people
Negative Alterations in Cognition & Mood - Guilt, emotional numbing, distorted blame
Alterations in Arousal & Reactivity - Hypervigilance, irritability, startle response
✔✔What factors increase the risk of developing PTSD after trauma exposure? - ✔✔Pre-
trauma: Childhood abuse, genetic predisposition, pre-existing mental illness
Peri-trauma: Severity of trauma, perceived threat to life, dissociation during trauma
Post-trauma: Lack of social support, additional life stress, maladaptive coping
✔✔How do PTSD symptoms differ between children and adults? - ✔✔Children: More
likely to experience nightmares without clear trauma content, re-enact trauma in play,
show new fears, and have behavioral regression.
Adults: More verbal about distress, experience avoidance and hyperarousal, and have
higher risk of comorbid conditions like substance use and depression.
✔✔What screening tools are commonly used for diagnosing PTSD? - ✔✔Primary Care
PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD-5) - Short 5-item screener
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) - Self-report symptom measure
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) - Gold standard for diagnosis
✔✔What are the primary treatment options for PTSD, and how effective are they? -
✔✔Psychotherapy:Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) - Highly effective for reducing
symptomsProlonged Exposure Therapy (PE) - Helps with avoidance symptomsEMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) - Reduces distress
Medications:SSRIs/SNRIs - First-line pharmacological treatmentPrazosin - Helps with
nightmares and hyperarousal
Effectiveness: Psychotherapy + medications often provide best outcomes
✔✔What is the clinical presentation of DID, and how does it differ from PTSD? - ✔✔DID
Symptoms:Presence of two or more distinct identity statesAmnesia (gaps in memory not
explained by normal forgetting)Identity disruption (marked changes in affect, behavior,
perception)
Differences from PTSD:DID involves identity fragmentation, whereas PTSD focuses on
trauma-related fear and hyperarousalDID has more severe dissociation and amnesia
than PTSD
✔✔What are the three phases of DID treatment, and what is the goal of each phase? -
✔✔Phase 1: Stabilization - Safety, symptom management, emotional regulation
Phase 2: Trauma Processing - Gradual integration of traumatic memories
Phase 3: Integration - Strengthening identity, improving daily functioning
