| Era | Term | Context |
|---|
| 19th century | Railway spine, irritation of the spine | Train accidents; somatic focus |
| WWI | Shell shock | Assumed concussive brain injury; later recognized as psychological |
| WWII | Battle fatigue, combat exhaustion | Emphasis on acute breakdown; forward psychiatry |
| 1952 (DSM-I) | Gross stress reaction | Transient; if >6 months → other diagnosis |
| 1968 (DSM-II) | Transient situational disturbance | Minimized chronicity |
| 1970s | Post-Vietnam syndrome | Veteran advocacy; clinical picture defined |
| 1980 (DSM-III) | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Formal diagnosis; trauma criterion, 3 clusters |
| 1994 (DSM-IV) | PTSD | Expanded trauma definition; added numbing/avoidance |
| 2013 (DSM-5) | PTSD (Trauma- & Stressor-Related Disorders) | 4 clusters; preschool subtype; removed subjective fear requirement |
| 2022 (DSM-5-TR) | PTSD | Minor text revisions; prolonged grief disorder added separately |
