Trauma in the Workplace

Abstract

The inclusion of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the DSM-III ([APA]) and its succeeding volume, the DSM-III-R (APA, 1987) has had profound effects on the mental health and the business communities. As perceived from a mental health standpoint, PTSD describes emotional distress, typically based on a discernible environmental event, which is the primary determinant of the symptom cluster. The kinds of Stressors that cause PTSD are being well documented, researched, and treated clinically as evidenced by the various chapters of this Handbook. Although there is a known course for the emotional distress in PTSD, its mileposts are extremely variable from both the standpoint of the nature of the trauma and from that of the individual differences among the persons involved. Within the industrial-business sphere of economic enterprise, there is now legitimacy in the recognition of employment-related traumata as shown by disability pensions, workers' compensation, and veterans disability benefits. The U.S. Government, whose disability system for mental disorders is based on the current DSM-III-R, finds itself forced to address the issue of PTSD for federal employees. Workers' compensation laws in some states in the United States, as well as those European communities, often include emotional distress for events that occurred in the workplace. Many other states, by case law and precedent, hold the employer responsible for employment-related stressful events that harm or injure employees.