DIAGNOSING PTSD IN CHILDHOOD | The following literature review addresses the developmental and domain-specific consequences of previous and current diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in pre-adolescent children. PTSD was int
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roduced in 1980 to capture extreme responses following a traumatic event. I analyze the evolution of the disorder’s diagnostic criteria toward a more developmentally conscious structure. I also examine instances in which these criteria lack developmental consistency: (1) preschool PTSD is the only diagnostic subtype despite the fact that childhood development also differentiates traumatic expressions in older children from adolescents and adults; and (2) many of the PTSD epidemiological data that have been reanalyzed under the most recent (DSM-5) typology only refer to adolescent and adult samples although many researchers have
demonstrated that developmental alterations to DSM-IV and DSM-IV-TR criteria produce significantly higher prevalence rates in children.
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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents occurs as a result of a child’s exposure to one or more traumatic events: actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual vio
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lence. The victim may experience the event, witness it, learn about it from close family members or friends, or experience repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the event. Potentially traumatic events include physical or sexual assaults, natural disasters, and accidents.
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Background: Several studies have demonstrated that South African children and adolescents are
exposed to high levels of violent trauma with a significant proportion developing PTSD, however,
limited resources make it difficult to accurately identify traumatized children.
Conclusions: Our result
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s indicate that trauma exposure and PTSD are prevalent in South African
youth and if appropriate cut-offs are used, self-report scales may be useful screening tools for
PTSD.
Annals of General Psychiatry 2005, 4:2doi:10.1186/1744-859X-4-2
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This Practice Parameter reviews the evidence from research and clinical experience and highlights significant advances in the assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder since the previous Parameter was published in 1998. It highlights
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the importance of early identification of posttraumatic stress disorder, the importance of gathering information from parents and children, and the assessment and treatment of comorbid disorders. It presents evidence to support trauma-focused psychotherapy, medications, and a combination of interventions in a multimodal approach.
Journal of the American Academy of Children & Adolescents Psychiatry, Vol. 49 No. 4 APRIL 2010 pp.414-430
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Several diagnostic criteria of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are remarkably similar to symptoms reported by individuals with depression, pa
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rticularly as they manifest as cognitive processing deficits in children. Because of this overlap in profile and the high rate of comorbidity of PTSD and depression (48% to 69%), pinpointing similarities/differences in cognitive processes related to each of these disorders is essential to accurate diagnosis. This study aims to examine cognitive performance profiles of 23 children who have been victims of PTSD and to compare their results with 23 children with depression and 24 controls.
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No one wants the words “post-traumatic stress disorder” and “children” to appear in the same sentence. But recent events like the Sandy Hoo
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k elementary school shooting are reminders that children as well as adults can be exposed to events that cause this debilitating but highly treatable mental illness.Previous posts in this series explained why I advocate for children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), explored 5 myths and misconceptions about PTSD in children, and defined both trauma and PTSD from a child’s point of view. This post explores some of the causes of PTSD in kids.
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How to recognise Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | The nature and cause of Post-
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Traumatic Stress Disorder | Treatment and referral | Sources of further information | Compiled by the Scientific & Advisory Board Members of the South African Depression & Anxiety Group, and reviewed by the MRC Research Unit on Anxiety and Stress Disorders
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Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops following some stressful events. There has been increasing recognition that children who
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have been exposed to traumatic events like child sexual abuse can develop post-traumatic stress disorder just like adults.
Objective: To determine prevalence of PTSD in sexually abused children seen at the Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Design: A cross sectional descriptive study.
Setting: Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre – Kenyatta National Hospital. Subjects One hundred and forty-nine (n = 149) sexually abused children were recruited in the study.
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Lancet Planet Health 2019; 3: e93–101
Background: Traumatic stress may arise from various incidents often leading to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The lifetime prevalence of PTS
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D is estimated at 1% – 2% in Western Europe, 6% – 9% in North America and at just over 10% in countries exposed to long-term
violence. In South Africa, the lifetime prevalence for PTSD in the general population is estimated at 2.3%.
Aim: To examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptomatology and related psychological functioning in a community sample of adolescents.
Setting: Low-socioeconomic communities in KwaZulu-Natal.
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After a frightening or distressing experience (any kind of injury, a physical or sexual assault, car crash, fire, or other natural disaster), a child or teen may suffer psychological
stress in addition to any physical injuries.
When these reaction
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s last for more than a month and are strong enough to affect a child's or teen's everyday functioning, that child may be diagnosed as having Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.
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White Paper from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Refugee Trauma Task Force
The nature of humanitarian work has also drastically changed over the last
decade. Humanitarian workers have paid dearly in the face of violence and
terrorism. Burn out and after-effects of traumatic experiences constitute a
major risk for humani
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tarian workers. After ten years of experience with delegate
stress, the Psychological Support Programme (PSP) team emphasizes
the importance of efficient stress management.
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On 9 February 2021, a first webinar entitled “Expanding our understanding of Post COVID-19 condition” was held under the auspices of WHO and in consultation with the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium(ISARIC
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), Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R), National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases(NIH/NIAID), Long Covid SOS and patient representatives.
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The 12 Core Concepts for Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Families
provide a rationale for trauma-informed assessment and intervention. The Concepts cover a broad
range of
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points that practitioners and agencies should consider as they strive to assess, understand,
and assist trauma-exposed children, families, and communities in trauma-informed ways.
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National Child Traumatic Stress Network National Center for PTSD | The field of school safety and emergency management has evolved significantly over the past decade. Tragically, acts of violence, n
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atural disasters, and terrorist attacks have taught us many lessons. We also know that other types of emergencies can impact schools, including medical emergencies, transportation accidents, sports injuries, peer victimization, public health emergencies, and the sudden death of a member of the school community. We now recognize the need for school emergency management plans that are up-to-date and take an “all-hazards” approach with clear communication channels and procedures that effectively reunite parents and caregivers with students. We have also learned that preparing school administrators, teachers, and school partnering agencies before a critical event is crucial for effective response, the value of ongoing training and emergency exercises, and that having intervention models that address the public health, mental health, and psychosocial needs of students and staff is essential to a safe school environment and the resumption of learning.
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents occurs when a child is exposed to one or more events that are unexpected, uncontr
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ollable, life-threatening, and likely to cause serious harm or injury to himself/herself or someone significantly important to the child. In response, the child experiences fear, hopelessness, or horror and responds with a characteristic set of physiological and psychological reactions, which perpetuates the overwhelming and confusing feelings. Symptoms are characterized into three groups: persistent, intrusive re-experiencing of traumatic recollections; avoidance of reminders/numbing; and increased arousal.
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Nature Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01283-z
Brochure on PTSD: If you are like many South Africans and have been the victim of violent crime, abuse, accidents, loss, or illness, you may be suffering from a very real illness – Post Traumatic
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Stress Disorder or PTSD. Many victims of trauma in South Africa don’t get help because they feel embarrassed, they think that acting brave and tough is the ‘manly’ thing to do, they have seen so much violence that they feel ‘numb’, or they refuse to believe what happened.
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How can parents and other adults help children and teens living with undiagnosed, untreated PTSD find the help they need? An understanding of the symptoms of PTSD is a good place to start. Some of the symptoms in children and teens are the same as those for babies and toddlers. These include hypervi
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gilance, emotional distress when reminded of the initial trauma, fear or avoidance of places that remind them of the event, nightmares, and other sleep issues.
But other symptoms are more common in children over the age of 3 and into the teen years. This article focuses on those symptoms.
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