[Expert opinion on post-traumatic stress disorder].

There is a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in community-based samples.Therefore, psychiatric assessment and expert opinion are often required. Professional standards for psychiatric expert opinion in the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder are outlined. The significance of symptom validity tests is critically discussed. Test results have to be considered carefully in the medicolegal context and require thorough clinical assessment. Copyright (c) Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart--New York.