What distinguishes acute stress disorder from PTSD?

Acute stress disorder is characterized by its timing in relation to the trauma experienced. It specifically occurs in response to a traumatic event and manifests symptoms within three days to one month following that trauma. This timeframe is crucial because it helps differentiate acute stress disorder from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which requires symptoms to persist for more than a month and can occur up to several years after the trauma. Understanding this distinction is important for accurate diagnosis and treatment, as it directly influences the therapeutic approaches taken and the urgency of intervention needed.

The other options describe characteristics that are not applicable to acute stress disorder: the duration referenced in the first option defines PTSD rather than acute stress disorder; the third option references diagnostic criteria that are less about observational behavior and more centered on self-reported symptoms and specific criteria; and the fourth option speaks to chronic stress that does not involve a traumatic event, which encompasses a completely different set of mental health conditions.