Over the next couple of weeks (and, I’m sure throughout my blog-posting career is concerned) I will be discussing what is called “Peritraumatic Distress” and why it is so important for us to be talking about. But first, since most of us are unfamiliar with Peritraumatic Distress (PD), I will begin by introducing you to the basic concepts involved with it.

Peritraumatic distress refers to the challenging (or negative) emotional responses and physiological reactions that occur during, or immediately following, a traumatic event. It has been found to be a significant predictor of the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

How can we define “trauma” here?

Trauma can be defined as an emotional and psychological response to an overwhelmingly distressing or disturbing event, or series of events. Traumatic experiences can involve actual or perceived threats to one’s physical or psychological well-being, and can have a lasting impact on an individual’s welfare. Trauma often disrupts one’s sense of safety, control, trust, and can lead to a variety of symptoms and difficulties in functioning.

Now, back to Peritraumatic Distress. Peritraumatic Distress quite literally is related to trauma down to its name: peri- (meaning, “about” or “around”) -traumatic (meaning, “involving trauma”) Distress (meaning, “a significant reaction involving pain/suffering”). Peritraumatic Distress can be casually defined as physically and psychologically suffering during, or just around a traumatic event(s).

One of the most relevant studies on peritraumatic distress as it relates to PTSD was conducted by Brewin, Andrews, and Valentine (2000) and published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. Here, researchers investigated the role of peritraumatic dissociation and heart rate as predictors of PTSD symptoms in individuals who had experienced a traumatic event. The study found that both peritraumatic dissociation and heart rate during the traumatic event predicted the development of PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, the combination of peritraumatic dissociation and heart rate had a stronger predictive value than either measure alone. Altogether, this study highlights the importance of considering both psychological and physiological reactions to trauma in predicting PTSD.

Overall, these studies center on the importance of considering Peritraumatic Distress as a significant predictor of PTSD and the potential for early interventions to reduce the development of PTSD symptoms. In psychotherapeutic treatment, then, it is crucial to involve both the physical and psychological facets of one’s holistic being in order to aim toward long-term healing and reduction of potential PTSD symptoms. For example, a therapist may choose to use somatic-based treatments to work with a client experiencing PD in order to lower the chance of their symptoms evolving into PTSD later on.

In our upcoming articles, information that both the client and the provider can use to help lower symptoms of Peritraumatic Distress can be found. Stay in the loop by signing up for my monthly newsletter through the Inspirit Inner Circle (listed on the bottom of the Home page).

References

Brewin, C. R., Andrews, B., & Valentine, J. D. (2000). Meta-analysis of risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(5), 748–766. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.68.5.748

What is Peritraumatic Distress (vs PTSD)?

Setting the Stage for Peritraumatic Distress (Building Awareness)

Recent Research About Sustaining the High-Achieving Professional (Part 2)