How is acute stress disorder distinguished from PTSD?

• A. ASD symptoms occur within months after trauma; PTSD occurs within days.
• B. ASD symptoms occur within 3 days to 1 month after trauma; PTSD requires symptoms persisting beyond 1 month.
• C. ASD requires longer duration than PTSD.
• D. ASD never includes intrusion symptoms.

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is timing. Acute Stress Disorder is diagnosed when symptoms start within a short window after a traumatic event and last only up to a month. Specifically, symptoms must occur within 3 days to 1 month after the trauma. If symptoms continue beyond 1 month and meet the criteria, the diagnosis shifts to PTSD. So the best choice says ASD symptoms occur within 3 days to 1 month after the trauma, and PTSD requires symptoms persisting beyond 1 month.

Context helps: both disorders share similar symptom clusters (intrusion, avoidance, negative mood/cognition, arousal), but ASD is bounded by a shorter duration and typically includes a higher symptom burden, sometimes with dissociative features. PTSD, by contrast, requires longer persistence beyond a month. The other statements misstate the timing or the nature of symptoms (ASD can include intrusion; it does not last longer than PTSD by definition).