摘要：Major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are two of the most common psychiatric disorders associated with life experiences of violent conflict [1]. Extensive research has demonstrated a high prevalence of these disorders in combat veterans, survivors of torture, and civilian populations traumatized by mass violence. These diagnoses are well known, and their signs and symptoms are clearly defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) [2]. Yet despite the availability of explicit diagnostic criteria, persons who have experienced extreme violence are often poorly diagnosed and treated. Based on 25 years of clinical experience caring for patients traumatized by extreme violence, I believe the reasons for most poor care are related to three problems in clinical diagnosis and treatment: neglecting the trauma story, misuse of the psychiatric diagnosis, and overlooking the patient's natural resiliency.
