Post-Traumatic Stress

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more traumatic events. It is a severe and ongoing emotional reaction to extreme psychological trauma, such as threat to life, being a victim of crime or sexual assault, witnessing someone's death, or a threat to one's physical and/or psychological integrity.

The new edition updated throughout, presents information in a helpful, practical, and accessible way that will be helpful to survivors, and their family and friends. The book begins with a description of PTSD and other related problems, often experienced by survivors, a short history of the developments in the field, information on common responses to trauma, theory, assessment, treatment and research findings.

Further chapters reflect new theoretical thinking and directions in the field of trauma including post-traumatic growth following adversity. New chapters to this edition address the impact of traumatic bereavement, the needs of ex-hostages and their families, and suggestions for self-help after trauma.

Post-traumatic stress: The Facts is essential reading for sufferers of post-traumatic stress, their families and friends, and will also be of interest to the general reader and a valuable resource for helping professionals, such as general practitioners, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, counsellors and those supporting victims of trauma in the voluntary sector. The book will also be helpful for those in the voluntary and statutory sector responsible for providing crisis support to those affected by major traumatic events in the community.

Stephen Regel, Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust/School of Education, University of Nottingham, UK,Stephen Joseph, Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth, School of Education, University of Nottingham/ Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Stephen Regel is Principal Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and Co-director of the Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust & Special Lecturer in the School of Sociology and Social Policy, Nottingham University. He is a visiting therapist/consultant at the Family Trauma Centre in Belfast NHS Trust, Northern Ireland and a regular contributor to the MA in Disaster Management at the University of Copenhagen. He has over 25 years experience working with victims of trauma, dividing his time between clinical, teaching and research activities. He is a consultant to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support and a member of the British Red Cross Psychosocial Support Team. He regularly provides training and consultancy on post trauma support for a number of UK police forces and other agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Stephen Joseph is Professor of Psychology, Health and Social Care in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham, and an Honorary Consultant Psychologist in Psychotherapy in Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. Prior to this Stephen worked at the University of Warwick on the clinical psychology training programme. Stephen completed his PhD in 1991 at the Institute of Psychiatry on the topic of trauma in survivors of disaster. Trauma remains the focus of his research and clinical interests, with his recent work specialising in growth following adversity.