title: Posttraumatic stress in older adults: when medical diagnoses or treatments cause traumatic stress.
abstract: Most older patients adapt after catastrophic medical diagnoses and treatments, but a significant number may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. PTSD symptoms create added burden for the individual, family, and health care system for the patient's recovery. Medical-related PTSD may be underdiagnosed by providers who may be unaware that these health problems can lead to PTSD symptoms. Treatment research is lacking, but pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to treatment may be extrapolated and adjusted from the literature focusing on younger adults. Additional study is needed.
authors.affiliation: VA Boston Health Care System, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, MA, USA. Electronic address: jennifer.moye@va.gov.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moye
authors.affiliation: VA Boston Health Care System, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rouse
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000379:methods*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Cancer; Cardiac; Geriatric; Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)