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'''Posttraumatic stress disorder''' ('''PTSD''') may develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events, such as major stress, sexual assault, terrorism, or other threats on a person's life.<ref>American Psychiatric Association (2013). ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders '' (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. pp. 271–280. ISBN 978-0-89042-555-8.</ref> The diagnosis may be given when a group of symptoms, such as disturbing recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and hyperarousal, continue for more than a month after the occurrence of a traumatic event.
Most people having experienced a traumatizing event will not develop PTSD.<ref>National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (UK) (2005). [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56494/ "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Management of PTSD in Adults and Children in Primary and Secondary Care"]. NICE Clinical Guidelines, No. 26. Gaskell (Royal College of Psychiatrists). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0015848/ Lay summary] – Pubmed Health (plain English).</ref> People who experience assault-based trauma are more likely to develop PTSD, as opposed to people who experience non-assault based trauma such as witnessing trauma, accidents, and fire events.<ref>Zoladz, Phillip (June 2013). "Current status on behavioral and biological markers of PTSD: A search for clarity in a conflicting literature". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 37 (5): 860-895. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neubiorev.2013.03.024</ref> Children are less likely to experience PTSD after trauma than adults, especially if they are under ten years of age. War veterans are commonly at risk for PTSD.