Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders: Treatment

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders as defined in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), include adjustment disorders, acute stress disorder (ASD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reactive attachment disorder (RAD), and dysregulated social engagement disorder. Empirically supported treatments for adjustment disorders, ASD, and PTSD have been developed and will be described in this entry. There are no empirically supported treatments for RAD, although the generally accepted approach is to therapeutically facilitate a secure attachment bond between the primary caregiver and the child—and confrontational or coercive interventions designed to force a child to develop an attachment to adults are considered harmful and unacceptable. Dysregulated social engagement disorder is a new diagnosis in the DSM-5 and is treated similarly as RAD.