Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comprises which set of symptom categories?

• A. Intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal, and mood/cognition alterations
• B. Depression, anxiety, somatization, and mania
• C. Memory loss, dissociation, and amnesia
• D. A chronic anxiety disorder not linked to trauma

Answer: (A)

PTSD is defined by a specific pattern of symptoms that cluster after exposure to a traumatic event. These clusters include intrusive re-experiencing (flashbacks, nightmares), avoidance of reminders of the trauma, negative alterations in cognitions and mood (persistent negative beliefs, detachment, diminished interest), and hyperarousal (difficulty sleeping, irritability, hypervigilance). The option that lists intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal, and mood/cognition alterations matches these four domains, regardless of order, making it the best fit for the PTSD symptom structure. The other choices mix in symptoms or disorders not specific to PTSD or deny the trauma linkage, so they don’t align with how PTSD is defined.