Symptoms of PTSD have been continuously reported in the context of war since the 6th century B.C., but it was not officially recognized as a valid disorder until it finally classified by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1980.
[1] Once it was officially recognized as an issue, clinical research on PTSD increased dramatically, giving way to the field of psychotraumatology.
In a rebuttal of sorts, Donovan (1993) argued for a term broader in scope than traumatic stress studies, the phrase that has been used historically to unite the field.
In 1995, the addition of the prefix psycho- to the root traumatology appears to clarify potential ambiguities and more clearly defines the conduct at hand.
[1] Such factors include:[1] The term psychotraumatology is used in the present context to define or order the conduct of inquiry and the categorization of information relevant to psychological trauma.