What kinds of traumatic events can cause PTSD?

• A. Only accidents
• B. PTSD cannot be caused by trauma
• C. Vary widely, including accidents, military combat, interpersonal violence, natural disasters, and bullying
• D. Only natural disasters

Answer: (C)

Trauma exposure that can lead to PTSD covers a wide range of events, not just one type. PTSD can develop after exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, and this exposure can be direct, witnessed, learned about a close family member or friend experiencing it, or repeated/extreme exposure to distressing details (as with some first responders). Because of that, the kinds of events that can trigger PTSD include accidents, military combat, interpersonal violence, natural disasters, bullying, and more. The best answer reflects this broad spectrum. The other options are too limited or incorrect because PTSD can arise from many different traumatic experiences, not only one category or not at all.