Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01377:reg:7:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01377
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 7 (pt 1/2)
Character Range: 1707–5052

7               Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
(1)          This Statement of Principles is about acute stress disorder and death from acute stress disorder.
Meaning of acute stress disorder
(2)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, acute stress disorder means a disorder of mental health which meets the following criteria (derived from DSM-5-TR):
              1. The individual is exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in one (or more) of the following ways:
(i)            directly experiencing the traumatic event(s);
(ii)         witnessing, in person, the event(s) as it occurred to others;
(iii)       learning that the event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend. In cases of actual or threatened death of a family member or friend, the event(s) must have been violent or accidental; or
(iv)        experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s) (for example, first responders collecting human remains, police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse). This does not apply to exposure through electronic media, television, movies, or pictures, unless this exposure is work related; and
B.            The presence of nine (or more) of the following symptoms from
               any of the five categories of intrusion, negative mood,
               dissociation, avoidance, and arousal, beginning or worsening
               after the traumatic event(s) occurred:

     Intrusion Symptoms
(i)            recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event(s). In children, repetitive play may occur in which themes or aspects of the traumatic event(s) are expressed;
                 (ii)         recurrent distressing dreams in which the content and/or affect of the dream are related to the event(s). In children, there may be frightening dreams without recognisable content;
                 (iii)       dissociative reactions (for example, flashbacks) in which the individual feels or acts as if the traumatic event(s) were recurring. (Such reactions may occur on a continuum, with the most extreme expression being a complete loss of awareness of present surroundings.) In children, trauma-specific re-enactment may occur in play;
                 (iv)        intense or prolonged psychological distress or marked physiological reactions in response to internal or external cues that symbolise or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s).

     Negative Mood

                 (i) persistent inability to experience positive emotions (for example, inability to experience happiness, satisfaction, or loving feelings).

     Dissociative Symptoms

(i)            an altered sense of the reality of one's surroundings or oneself (for example, seeing oneself from another's perspective, being in a daze, time slowing);
                 (ii)         inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event(s) (typically due to dissociative amnesia and not to other factors such as head injury, alcohol, or drugs).

     Avoidance Symptoms

                 (i) efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely associated with the traumatic event(s);
                 (ii) efforts to avoid