Which statement accurately reflects the DSM-5-TR criteria for PTSD, including symptom clusters and duration?

• A. PTSD criteria require mood symptoms only and no duration requirement.
• B. A diagnosis of PTSD is made solely on clinician intuition without symptom clusters.
• C. Exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence; intrusion symptoms 1+; avoidance 1+; negative alterations in cognitions/mood 2+; arousal/reactivity 2+; duration >1 month; distress/impairment; not due to substances or another condition.
• D. PTSD criteria are identical to generalized anxiety disorder.

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is how PTSD is defined in DSM-5-TR, including the specific symptom clusters and how long they must persist. The statement that matches reflects exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, plus intrusion symptoms (at least one), avoidance (at least one), negative alterations in cognitions/mood (at least two), and arousal/reactivity (at least two); the duration must be more than one month; there is distress or impairment, and the symptoms are not due to substances or another medical condition. This aligns with PTSD having four symptom clusters and a duration criterion, not just mood symptoms or a general intuition-based diagnosis. The other options fail because PTSD is not defined by mood symptoms alone, it isn’t diagnosed by intuition, and its criteria are not identical to generalized anxiety disorder.