ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the clinical assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The assessment of PTSD will focus on the adult instead of the child. The chapter offers a modest proposal for assessing PTSD that conforms to the proposed International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) definition. It aims to convince the reader that it is time to move from PTSD as defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) and transition to ICD. The chapter also aims to propose a structured clinical interview that involves the application of the Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), which is DSM-based, and how it might be applied to ICD-11. The CAPS was used to assess for the presence of PTSD. The only major controversy surrounding ICD-11 is the introduction of complex PTSD (CPTSD). The class of traumas where CPTSD would be found includes refugees, victims of prolonged torture, or concentration- or labor-camp survivors.