Medical trauma in context: Recognizing and addressing medically induced posttraumatic stress disorder in adults.

Abstract

Potentially traumatic medical events (PTMEs) occur across acute and chronic illness trajectories, such as invasive procedures, intensive care, and life-threatening diagnoses. Emerging evidence suggests that approximately 20% of individuals exposed to PTMEs develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite this burden, medically induced PTSD (mPTSD) remains underrecognized and underresearched relative to its scope and impact. Underidentification may stem from distinctive features of mPTSD that challenge traditional PTSD frameworks, including features of the index trauma and symptom presentation. These factors can complicate assessment and contribute to diagnostic ambiguity within existing nomenclature. In this narrative review, stemming from the authors' panel presentation at the 41st annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, we synthesize current evidence on mPTSD, including prevalence estimates and distinctions in clinical presentation. We examine unique assessment considerations and discuss adaptations to gold-standard evidence-based interventions when symptoms arise from PTMEs. We argue that advancing conceptual and empirical work on mPTSD as a distinct clinical presentation has important implications for diagnostic refinement, treatment optimization, and trauma-informed health care delivery.