title: Posttraumatic stress: a concept analysis.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to examine the phenomenon of "posttraumatic stress" using the process of concept analysis as outlined in L. O. Walker and K. C. Avant's (2005) Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing. Epidemiological studies estimate that approximately 15% to 24% of adults in America experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives. Therefore, it is critical for mental health care professionals to understand its historical evolution, the origins of its name, defining attributes, antecedents and consequences, model cases, and empirical referents. In doing so, a more thorough understanding of the underlying attributes of PTSD will be explicated along with related taxonomies.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78259, USA. ann_nayback@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nayback
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003210:Concept Formation; D017281:Cost of Illness; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D009742:Nursing Theory; D015995:Prevalence; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012307:Risk Factors; D012945:Social Values; D013240:Stereotyping; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology