Trauma disorders: acute stress disorder: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Trauma disorders: acute stress disorder

Sample item

Nine days after a serious road traffic collision, a patient has intrusive memories, avoidance, hypervigilance, and dissociative symptoms. Which diagnosis best fits if symptoms are clinically significant?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Acute stress disorder

Acute stress disorder is diagnosed after trauma when symptoms last from three days to one month. PTSD requires persistence beyond one month.

Option by option

  • A. Acute stress disorder (correct)

    Correct. The timing after trauma falls in the acute stress disorder window.

  • B. Panic disorder

    Panic disorder requires recurrent unexpected attacks rather than trauma-linked symptom clusters.

  • C. Adjustment disorder

    Adjustment disorder is not the preferred diagnosis when a trauma-specific syndrome is present.

  • D. Post-traumatic stress disorder

    PTSD requires symptoms to continue for more than one month.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is A, Acute stress disorder. Acute stress disorder is diagnosed after trauma when symptoms last from three days to one month.

Why is "Panic disorder" not the answer?

Panic disorder requires recurrent unexpected attacks rather than trauma-linked symptom clusters.

Why is "Adjustment disorder" not the answer?

Adjustment disorder is not the preferred diagnosis when a trauma-specific syndrome is present.

Why is "Post-traumatic stress disorder" not the answer?

PTSD requires symptoms to continue for more than one month.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Trauma disorders: acute stress disorder in Psychiatry. PTSD requires persistence beyond one month.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Trauma disorders: acute stress disorder?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.