Overview

These WHO mhGAP guidelines were developed to provide recommended management strategies for conditions specifically related to stress, including symptoms of acute stress, post-traumatic stress disorder and bereavement.

The guidelines were developed by an independent Guidelines Development Group and inform a new mhGAP module on the Assessment and Management of Conditions Specifically Related to Stress.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Glossary
• Executive summary
• Introduction
  • Existing guidelines on stress-related problems and disorders
  • Objectives
  • Who should use these guidelines
• Individuals and partners involved in development of the guidelines
  • WHO steering group
  • Guideline Development Group (GDG)
  • External review group
  • Management of conflicts of interest
• How the guidelines were developed
  • The scope
  • Evidence search and retrieval
  • Evidence to recommendations
  • Group process
• Recommendations
• Specific recommendations
  • Acute traumatic stress symptoms after a potentially traumatic recent event (recommendations 1–4)
  • Insomnia after a potentially traumatic recent event (recommendations 5–8)
  • Enuresis after a potentially traumatic recent event (recommendation 9)
  • Dissociative (conversion) disorders after a potentially traumatic recent event (recommendations 10–11)
  • Hyperventilation after a potentially traumatic recent event (recommendations 12–13)
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder (recommendations 14–17)
  • Bereavement in the absence of mental disorder (recommendations 18–21)
• Plans for disseminating, adapting and implementing these recommendations
  • Impact of the guidelines
  • Research
  • Review by date
• References
• Annex 1 WHO Steering Group
• Annex 2 Guideline Development Group (GDG)
• Annex 3 External reviewers
• Annex 4 Declarations of Interest
• Annex 5 Evidence Profiles

Suggested citation:

World Health Organization. Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. Geneva: WHO, 2013.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters.

All reasonable precautions have been taken by the World Health Organization to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall the World Health Organization be liable for damages arising from its use.