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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following
the experience of, or witnessing of, life-threatening events
such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents,
serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape.
People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience
through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping
and feel detached or estranged. The symptoms can be severe
enough and last long enough to significantly impair the
person’s daily life.
According to the National
Center for PTSD, some factors that may affect children and
adolescents include the following. The list is not all-inclusive;
other factors may affect specific children.
The Prevalence of PTSD in Children
Fifteen to 43 percent of girls and 14 to 43 percent of
boys have experienced at least one traumatic event in
their lifetime. Of those children, 3 to 15 percent of
girls and 1 to 6 percent of boys could be diagnosed with
PTSD.
Rates are higher for children in an at-risk situation.
Jessica Hamblin, Ph.D, of the National Center for PTSD,
states that studies have shown that as many as 100 percent
of children who witness a parental homicide or sexual
assault develop PTSD. Further, 90 percent of sexually
abused children, 77 percent of children exposed to a school
shooting and 35 percent of urban youth exposed to community
violence develop PTSD.
Dr. Hamblin suggests that children affected
by PTSD exhibit the following characteristics:
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Fear
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Anxiety
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Depression
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Anger and hostility
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Aggression
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Sexually inappropriate behavior
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Self-destructive behavior
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Feelings of isolation and stigma
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Poor self-esteem
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Difficulty in trusting others
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Substance abuse
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Social avoidance
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School failure
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Regressed or delayed development
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Distractability and attention problems
In extreme cases, a number of psychiatric disorders occur,
such as separation anxiety, panic disorder, anxiety disorder,
deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder
and conduct disorder.
Researchers are finding that PTSD may present itself
differently in children than adults. It may be difficult
to identify symptoms in very young children, but they
may report more generalized fears such as stranger or
separation anxiety. They may also reenact the trauma during
their play. Other symptoms may include sleep disturbance
and the loss of acquired skills such as toilet training.
Children of elementary school age tend to
experience “time skew” or the mis-sequencing
of trauma-related events. They may reenact the trauma in
play, drawings or verbalizations. Adolescents sometimes
incorporate traumatic reenactments into their daily lives,
and they are more likely than younger children or adults
to exhibit impulsive and aggressive behaviors.
PTSD Vulnerability in Children
Why are some children affected with PTSD
while others who witness the same or similar events have
lesser no or problems? Three factors related to risk are
apparent:
- The age of the child
- The characteristics of the event
- The characteristics of the family and social system
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