A ____________________ is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as an event in which the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, and the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror

A ____________________ is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as an event in which the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, and the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror

• A. Acute stress reaction
• B. Stressful life event
• C. Mild trauma exposure
• D. Traumatic Stressors

Answer: (D)

Traumatic stressors refer to exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, and the individual’s reaction involves intense fear, helplessness, or horror. This exact framing is how the American Psychiatric Association describes the kind of event that can lead to trauma-related responses and PTSD, distinguishing it from ordinary stress or non-threatening experiences. The other options don’t capture this specific exposure: an acute stress reaction describes the symptoms after a trauma rather than the event itself; a stressful life event is too broad and non-specific; mild trauma exposure isn’t a standard term. Therefore, the term that best fits is traumatic stressors.

Traumatic stressors refer to exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, and the individual’s reaction involves intense fear, helplessness, or horror. This exact framing is how the American Psychiatric Association describes the kind of event that can lead to trauma-related responses and PTSD, distinguishing it from ordinary stress or non-threatening experiences. The other options don’t capture this specific exposure: an acute stress reaction describes the symptoms after a trauma rather than the event itself; a stressful life event is too broad and non-specific; mild trauma exposure isn’t a standard term. Therefore, the term that best fits is traumatic stressors.