1
, 2
PYC4802 EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
PTSD
1. IMPLICATIONS OF PTSD FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNTIES ALIKE,
IS A COMPLEX CONCEPT THAT IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND,
PARTICULARLY IN AN AGE THAT ALLOWS FOR LIVE IMAGES OF VIOLENCE
THAT ARE BEING SHOWED ON TV SCREENS AROUND THE WORLD EVERY DAY.
MANY NEWS BULLETINS DEPICT THAT BRUTALITY OF VIOLENCE AND
EFFECTS IT HAS ON THE VICTIMS, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THESE
REPRESENTATIONS MERELY SKIM THE SURFACE. SOUTH AFRICA IS NO
EXCEPTION WITH ITS CULTURE OF VIOLENCE. IN VIEW OF THIS STATEMENT
CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY CLINICIANS IN
DIAGNOSING PTSD WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT. (25)
INFLUENTIAL FACTORS OF DIAGNOSIS AND ASSESSMENT:
1. LIMITED RESOURCES:
STUDIES SUGGEST THAT SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDREN, AS A WHOLE, ARE
EXPOSED TO HIGH LEVELS OF TRAUMA AND THAT A SIGNIFICANT
PROPORTION DEVELOP PTSD. OWING TO LIMITED RESOURCES,
ADMINISTRATION OF DIAGNOSTIC CLINICAL INTERVIEWS TO ALL YOUTH ISN’T
FEASIBLE. SELF-REPORT SCALES, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON’T REPLACE
CLINICAL INTERVIEWS, MAY BE USEFUL IN IDENTIFYING THOSE YOUTH IN THE
COMMUNITY WHO ARE MOST AT RISK. THIS MAY HELP TO FACILITATE MORE
TARGETED AND EFFICIENT TREATMENTS. IN ORDER TO DEVELOP
PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH TRAUMA, RELIABLE AND
VALID MEASUREMENTS OF PTSD RESPONSES ARE NEEDED. ALTHOUGH
SEVERAL INSTRUMENTS FOR ASSESSING CHILDHOOD DISORDERS AND
SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, MOST
HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE UNITED STATES. PTSD ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
NEED PREFERABLY BE STANDARDIZED IN LOCAL SAMPLES TO IMPROVE
DETECTION OF THE DISORDER. IN SOUTH AFRICA, INCREASINGLY LIMITED
RESOURCES SUCH AS FEW SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND LARGE
CLASSROOMS MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ACCURATELY IDENTIFY TRAUMATIZED
CHILDREN. NEVERTHELESS, IDENTIFICATION OF CHILDREN AT RISK FOR PTSD
POST-TRAUMA MAY LEAD TO THE MORE EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES THAT
ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. PARTICIPANTS MAY HAVE FELT MORE
COMFORTABLE IN ADMITTING TO TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES ON A SELF-
REPORT SCALE WHICH MAY BE PERCEIVED AS LESS INTRUSIVE.
2. MULTI-CULTURAL CONTEXT:
WHEN INDIVIDUALS FROM CULTURES NOT EXPOSED TO WESTERN MEDICAL
LABELLING ARE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES OF AND
RESPONSES TO TRAUMATIZING EVENTS, THEY DO NOT TYPICALLY PROVIDE
AN ACCOUNT OF PTSD SYMPTOMS. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS
CONSIDERABLE CULTURAL VARIATION IN THE “IDIOMS OF DISTRESS” THAT
GOVERN THE EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONAL STATES, DEPENDING ON THE
, 2
PYC4802 EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
PTSD
1. IMPLICATIONS OF PTSD FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNTIES ALIKE,
IS A COMPLEX CONCEPT THAT IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND,
PARTICULARLY IN AN AGE THAT ALLOWS FOR LIVE IMAGES OF VIOLENCE
THAT ARE BEING SHOWED ON TV SCREENS AROUND THE WORLD EVERY DAY.
MANY NEWS BULLETINS DEPICT THAT BRUTALITY OF VIOLENCE AND
EFFECTS IT HAS ON THE VICTIMS, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THESE
REPRESENTATIONS MERELY SKIM THE SURFACE. SOUTH AFRICA IS NO
EXCEPTION WITH ITS CULTURE OF VIOLENCE. IN VIEW OF THIS STATEMENT
CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY CLINICIANS IN
DIAGNOSING PTSD WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT. (25)
INFLUENTIAL FACTORS OF DIAGNOSIS AND ASSESSMENT:
1. LIMITED RESOURCES:
STUDIES SUGGEST THAT SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDREN, AS A WHOLE, ARE
EXPOSED TO HIGH LEVELS OF TRAUMA AND THAT A SIGNIFICANT
PROPORTION DEVELOP PTSD. OWING TO LIMITED RESOURCES,
ADMINISTRATION OF DIAGNOSTIC CLINICAL INTERVIEWS TO ALL YOUTH ISN’T
FEASIBLE. SELF-REPORT SCALES, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON’T REPLACE
CLINICAL INTERVIEWS, MAY BE USEFUL IN IDENTIFYING THOSE YOUTH IN THE
COMMUNITY WHO ARE MOST AT RISK. THIS MAY HELP TO FACILITATE MORE
TARGETED AND EFFICIENT TREATMENTS. IN ORDER TO DEVELOP
PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH TRAUMA, RELIABLE AND
VALID MEASUREMENTS OF PTSD RESPONSES ARE NEEDED. ALTHOUGH
SEVERAL INSTRUMENTS FOR ASSESSING CHILDHOOD DISORDERS AND
SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, MOST
HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE UNITED STATES. PTSD ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
NEED PREFERABLY BE STANDARDIZED IN LOCAL SAMPLES TO IMPROVE
DETECTION OF THE DISORDER. IN SOUTH AFRICA, INCREASINGLY LIMITED
RESOURCES SUCH AS FEW SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND LARGE
CLASSROOMS MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ACCURATELY IDENTIFY TRAUMATIZED
CHILDREN. NEVERTHELESS, IDENTIFICATION OF CHILDREN AT RISK FOR PTSD
POST-TRAUMA MAY LEAD TO THE MORE EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES THAT
ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. PARTICIPANTS MAY HAVE FELT MORE
COMFORTABLE IN ADMITTING TO TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES ON A SELF-
REPORT SCALE WHICH MAY BE PERCEIVED AS LESS INTRUSIVE.
2. MULTI-CULTURAL CONTEXT:
WHEN INDIVIDUALS FROM CULTURES NOT EXPOSED TO WESTERN MEDICAL
LABELLING ARE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES OF AND
RESPONSES TO TRAUMATIZING EVENTS, THEY DO NOT TYPICALLY PROVIDE
AN ACCOUNT OF PTSD SYMPTOMS. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS
CONSIDERABLE CULTURAL VARIATION IN THE “IDIOMS OF DISTRESS” THAT
GOVERN THE EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONAL STATES, DEPENDING ON THE
