Conceptualization of PTSD from the Vietnam War to Current Conflicts and Beyond.

The definition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) underwent substantial changes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), including the inclusion of negative affective experiences that were underrepresented in prior conceptualizations, among other changes (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). How these changes will impact prevalence and whether the clinical usefulness of this disorder has been improved are still unknown. Recently, Hoge and his associates undertook such a comparison study among US combat veterans (Hoge et al., 2014).