How and why has the definition of traumatic events changed from earlier versions of DSM to the current DSM? What have surveys revealed about traumatic events?

Answer:

Earlier versions of DSM defined trauma as an event "outside the range of usual human experience." Recent research has revealed that many traumatic events are common in the United States. Now, DSM defines traumatic events as (1) the experience of an event involving actual or threatened death or injury to self or others, and (2) a response of intense fear, helplessness, or horror in reaction to the event. A study of a random sample of over 2,000 adults living in the Detroit area found that almost 90 percent of the participants reported having experienced at least one traumatic stressor in their lives. About 9 percent of the participants developed PTSD following the trauma.