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 could develop mental health challenges which can be serious and must be addressed.

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

Managing PTSD in a teen can be very problematic for all involved, but just the fact that you will be concerned is really a positive and hopeful first step. Let's take a look at PTSD in teenagers—its signs and symptoms, the causes of it, and what treatment choices are available.

How Common Is PTSD in Teenagers?
teen PTSD is experienced by anyone who has been subjected to trauma, including witnessing violence, natural disasters, accidents, shootings, or being a victim of sexual or physical abuse. Traumas such as for instance losing nearest and dearest, divorce, and abandonment, may also cause PTSD.

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

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

At the same time frame, teenagers with PTSD may take part in “traumatic reenactment” more than adults. Teens could also show more aggressive behaviors and act on impulse more frequently.

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