A new two-minute survey could be all it takes to encourage people with undiagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to seek further help.
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s National PTSD Research Centre has launched a free online screening tool for PTSD to help people determine if they meet the threshold to pursue a diagnosis or consider seeking support.
The launch coincides with PTSD Awareness Month this June.
The screener will provide an important community link to the PTSD Clinic, set up to provide more effective and accessible treatment for trauma-related disorders.
Professor Alain Brunet, Director of the UniSC Thompson Institute where the centre is based, says many people seek support anonymously, so it is important to provide resources in a confidential way.
Free online screening tool
Do you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Take this short test to find out your likelihood of living with PTSD.
“Veterans, those serving in the armed forces, first responders and everyday people who have experienced a traumatic event may have avoided asking these questions for too long and may not realise they should consider seeking a diagnosis,” Professor Brunet says.
“There’s still a tendency for people to see others who are ‘worse off’ than they are and conclude they do not have PTSD.
“Symptoms of PTSD can include recurrent memories, emotions, and sensations of a traumatic event through sensory nightmares or flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, poor concentration, hypervigilance, irritability, emotional withdrawal and experience avoidance.”
The screening tool offers people a fast way to understand whether they might be experiencing symptoms of PTSD and what their next steps might be, such as seeking a formal diagnosis from a GP, psychologist or psychiatrist.
“Diagnoses are on the rise in Australia, exacerbated by floods, bushfires and other climate change-related weather events,” Professor Brunet said.
The National PTSD Research Centre is home to world-class research, clinical trials and community outreach and recently announced the Australian rollout of Reconsolidation Therapy, which has shown encouraging results.
Professor Brunet says Reconsolidation Therapy is exciting for clinicians because there’s no current cure for PTSD, however this treatment can be effective in as little as six sessions. It has already been taught to clinicians dealing with the effects of war in Ukraine.
“One study resulted in about 70 to 80 percent of the 60 participants reporting meaningful improvement in symptoms after just two assessments and six 25-minute therapy sessions,” he says.
“Reconsolidation Therapy holds promise – but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Our research is helping to define where it works best and why, so we can build safer, more targeted treatments for the diverse range of people living with PTSD.”
People living with PTSD can take part in Reconsolidation Therapy™ at the National PTSD Research Centre as a part of a study of the neurobiology underpinning the treatment.
Read more: How editing trauma memories with Reconsolidation Therapy could change PTSD treatment.
How editing trauma memories with Reconsolidation Therapy™ could change PTSD treatment
Editing memories to treat trauma might sound like science fiction. But it's grounded in neuroscience the treatment is called reconsolidation therapy and is making an impact when it comes to treating PTSD.
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