One of the least appreciated facts about personal injury is the frequent and severe psychological consequences. Severe and/or chronic pain usually results in either depressing and/or anxiety. More often then not the psychological consequences far exceed the physical ones in terms of a level of functioning both at work and at home.

If the accident or injury happened under a life threatening circumstances, then an individual will suffer from the syndrom of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Approximately 10% of our present population at one time or another has suffered from PTSD. This debilitating syndrom consists of three major areas of symptoms including intrusive re-experiencing of a traumatic event, avoidance and/or numbing with regard to cues representing the event, and hyper arousal including startle responses, increased heart rate, etc.

Until recently there were no tests that were diagnostic of the syndrom. Frequently employed tests such as the MMPI-2 and the MCMI-3 were not norm for the purpose of identifying this disorder. Recently, John Briere (2001) has published a new test specifically designed to assess PTSD. He calls it the detailed assessment of Post Traumatic stress (DAPS). He notes several unique features of the DAPS. One, the DAPS was formed specifically on a sample four hundred individuals who were exposed to at least one trauma. Two, it has validity scales that point out over and under reporters. Three, it measures life long history as well as current history. Four, it evaluates all three major areas of symptoms. Five, it can generate a probable diagnosis. Six, it measures conditions closely associated with PTSD such as suicidality and substance abuse.

Thus, for the first time, the assessor has a full picture of the nature and the extent of PTSD using Briere=s test. He/She can also estimate wether the results are valid. This is a major step forward in the ability to diagnose a truly under diagnosed disorder that affects many people seeking justice and civil litigation.