What to Know About PTSD in Teenagers

The teen years is an intense and tumultuous time. While it's common for teens to be moody and irritable, sometimes they are able to develop mental health challenges which can be serious and need to 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 instance flashbacks to the event, nightmares, increased agitation, emotional numbness, or trouble concentrating in school.

Managing PTSD in a teenager can be very problematic for all involved, but just the very fact that you're concerned is really 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?
PTSD treatment is experienced by whoever has been subjected to trauma, including witnessing violence, natural disasters, accidents, shootings, or being a victim of sexual or physical abuse. Traumas such as losing family members, divorce, and abandonment, can also cause PTSD.

Unfortunately, children and teenagers aren't immune from traumas and can experience PTSD consequently of a traumatic experience. It's estimated that as much as 5% of teens aged 13 to 18 experience PTSD. Girls are more prone to experience it than boys. The prevalence of PTSD is all about 8% for females and 2.3% for boys.2 Some researchers estimate that PTSD is in fact 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 the same time, teenagers with PTSD may take part in “traumatic reenactment” a lot more than adults. Teens can also show more aggressive behaviors and act on impulse more frequently.

Dangers of PTSD in Teens
PTSD is just a mental health condition that will cause reckless, dangerous, or suicidal behaviors. A teenager who's in the midst of a flashback might end up in physical danger; for example, they might lose control of these car or fall from something they're standing on. More likely, however, is that untreated PTSD can lead to additional mental health issues.