Traumatic Stress Disorders

The symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have long been recognized in medicine, history, literature, and philosophy. This chapter provides an introduction and overview to this handbook, focusing on the historical context that underlies current issues within the trauma literature. This handbook contains eight parts, focusing on classification and phenomenology; epidemiology and special populations; contributions from theory, assessment, prevention, and early intervention; treatment; and dissemination/implementation and ending with a chapter highlighting future directions. The historical underpinnings of each area are delineated, with attention to their linkage with current research. The hope for this revised edition of the Handbook of Traumatic Stress Disorders is to facilitate linkages among cross-cutting areas of study and clinical application, while providing concise, up-to-date reviews of current knowledge.