PTSD: What Parents Should Know About Treating Teens and Young Adults

The teen years can be an intense and tumultuous time. While it's common for teens to be moody and irritable, sometimes they could develop mental health challenges which are serious and must be addressed.

If your teen witnessed a traumatic event or had a traumatic experience, you could be wondering if they may allow us PTSD. They may even be showing signs of PTSD, such as for example flashbacks to the function, nightmares, increased agitation, emotional numbness, or trouble concentrating in school.

Managing PTSD in a teenager can be quite difficult for all involved, but just the fact that you are concerned is a positive and hopeful first step. Let's have a look at PTSD in teenagers—its signs and symptoms, what causes it, and what treatment choices are available.

How Common Is PTSD in Teenagers?
teen PTSD is experienced by whoever has been confronted with trauma, including witnessing violence, natural disasters, accidents, shootings, or being a prey of sexual or physical abuse. Traumas such as for example losing members of the family, divorce, and abandonment, also can cause PTSD.

Unfortunately, children and teenagers aren't immune from traumas and can experience PTSD consequently of a traumatic experience. It's estimated that up to 5% of teens aged 13 to 18 experience PTSD. Girls are more likely to experience it than boys. The prevalence of PTSD is about 8% for girls and 2.3% for boys.2 Some researchers estimate that PTSD is really slightly higher in the teen population than in adults.

How Do Apparent symptoms of PTSD in Teens Differ From Adults?
Symptoms of PTSD in teens more closely resemble PTSD symptoms in adults than in younger children.

At once, teenagers with PTSD may participate in “traumatic reenactment” significantly more than adults. Teens may also show more aggressive behaviors and act on impulse more frequently.

Dangers of PTSD in Teens
PTSD is a mental health condition that will result in reckless, dangerous, or suicidal behaviors. A teen who is in the midst of a flashback might find themselves in physical danger; for instance, they may lose control of the car or fall from something they're standing on. Much more likely, however, is that untreated PTSD can result in additional mental health issues.