Acute Stress Disorder — Acute stress disorder is a psychiatric condition involving significant symptoms that last from three days to one month after exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Symptoms include intrusive memories, avoidance, dissociation, negative mood, and heightened arousal that cause substantial distress or interfere with daily functioning. Diagnosis requires a qualifying exposure and a specific combination of symptoms, rather than distress alone. Acute stress disorder does not inevitably develop into posttraumatic stress disorder.

Added November 6, 2026