Posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI)

General public definition

• Posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) is currently not listed as a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR or ICD-11.
• The term is commonly used by public safety personnel (PSP) and those who do research with PSP in Canada.
• PTSI refers to the mental health conditions that a person may experience as a result of exposure to one or more potentially psychologically traumatic events.

Academic definition

• Posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) is currently not listed as a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR or ICD-11, although the term is commonly used by public safety personnel (PSP) and those who do research with PSP in Canada.
• PTSI is a non-clinical term subsuming one or more mental health conditions a person may experience after exposure to one or more potentially psychologically traumatic events. These mental health conditions include symptoms related to anxiety-, mood-, or trauma-related disorders that may meet diagnostic criteria for a generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder.
• PTSI includes symptoms that interfere with daily functioning in social, work, or family activities. Categorizing mental health conditions and using terms such as posttraumatic stress injuries may be an attempt to decrease stigma.

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