In this introduction to our Trauma Special Report, Dr. Novac places the articles in historical perspective and reminds the reader of the importance of understanding trauma within today's global constructs and impending war.

Global and Social Considerations

As the U.S. Department of Homeland Security raises security levels, Americans frantically take extraordinary precautions to prepare themselves for disaster. How is the public affected by the media and what can mental health care professionals and the government do to help minimize this anxiety?

Security Alerts Trouble American Psyche

Inpatient care for the wealthy has arrived--fluffy bath robes, in-room Jacuzzis, a concierge at your beck and call. Do the luxuries of these "resorts" negate the care that is being provided, or can patients have the best of both worlds?

Psychiatry's Hottest Niche Markets

First Night On-Call, Coronary Care Unit

In the wake of the deaths of seven astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, many critics have called for an end to manned space flights. Psychiatrists, however, point to the intangible benefits--including the societal values and desired psychological traits that are modeled by astronauts.

The Last Frontier: Going Beyond the Limits

What is secondary traumatization? The authors discuss current research and implications for this controversial and emerging field of study.

Secondary Traumatization in Mental Health Care Providers

The majority of people experience acute stress symptoms following trauma, but the development of posttraumatic stress disorder is the exception rather than the rule. Some investigators hypothesize that PTSD develops following increased nervous system response to trauma. Why only a minority of individuals experience this response, what their risk factors are and when should they be treated is the subject of ongoing research.

Changes in the Concept of PTSD and Trauma

Parents who have witnessed traumatic events may pass dysfunctional life views on to their children. How much more vulnerable are these second-generation victims to PTSD and other psychiatric disorders?

Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma: An Introduction for the Clinician

The DSM may be flawed, but it is the best available system for organizing and diagnosing mental disorders, and it remains a model for other medical specialties.

The DSM: Not Perfect, but Better Than the Alternative

Decades of labor have been poured into the formulation of the DSM and its descendants. Is this system of classification still useful and relevant to clinical practice? Should psychiatrists continue to revise it or get rid of it altogether?

Psychiatric Times Vol 20 No 4