The ‘death of family’ phenomenon in post-traumatic stress disorder (based on foreign publications of the 1990s)

The high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress-associated mental disorders (acute stress reaction, adjustment disorders), the lack of human and financial resources for complete diagnostics, prevention, and treatment of such disorders are obvious. Many publications in recent decades have been devoted to this very pressing problem. The relevance of diagnostics, treatment and prevention of reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders is determined by many factors, including the high prevalence of such disorders among victims of disasters, emergencies and other life-threatening events (up to 1/3 of victims); the severity of disorders, up to a psychotic level; the prevalence of suicides in this type of disorders (more than 2 times higher than in the population); a high risk of chronicity - due to the stress disorder itself, as well as in connection with the development of depression, addictions, personality disorders. The high prevalence of PTSD and other stress-associated mental disorders (acute stress reaction, adjustment disorders), the lack of human and financial resources for complete diagnostics, prevention, and treatment of such disorders are obvious. Many publications in recent decades have been devoted to this very pressing problem. The relevance of diagnostics, treatment and prevention of reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders is determined by many factors, including the high prevalence of such disorders among victims of disasters, emergencies and other life-threatening events (up to 1/3 of victims); the severity of disorders, up to a psychotic level; the prevalence of suicides in this type of disorders (more than 2 times higher than in the population); a high risk of chronicity - due to the stress disorder itself, as well as in connection with the development of depression, addictions, personality disorders.