Journal of Child and Adolescent Behavior
Open Access

Childhood trauma can have a dramatic impact on development, affecting physical growth, psychological development, and mental health for the rest of one’s life. This chapter provides a framework for understanding the effects of traumatic stress on children and adolescents for adolescent health practitioners. The importance of important PTSD therapeutic options for children and adolescents is discussed.

There is widespread agreement that the fundamental symptoms for diagnosing PTSD in children over the age of seven are nearly identical to those used for adults. However, there are fewer consensuses on diagnosis criteria below this age (especially below the age of 5 years). However, trauma-related symptoms in younger children are gradually being identified, such as regression to immature behaviours (becoming more anxious and clingy, and having difficulty falling asleep), aggression (becoming irritable or displaying destructive behaviour), repetitive re-enactment in play or drawings, and nightmares may occur less frequently. We must also be able to recognize symptomatology in children and adolescents as it relates to their functioning in various circumstances.

The epidemiological aspects of PTSD in children and adolescents are less studied than in adults due to a lack of relatively mature investigative techniques and ethical considerations, and this article has primarily concentrated on children or adolescents of advanced age. According to previous research, the prevalence of PTSD in children and adolescents is lower than that in adults. However, as additional survey instruments and procedures are developed, more research reveal that the prevalence of PTSD in children and adolescents is comparable to that of adults.

Adolescent mental health issues (such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances), earthquake-related stressors (such as earthquake exposure and negative life events following the earthquake), psychosocial and familial factors (such as trait resilience, coping styles, social support, and parenting styles), and behavioral/social functioning were all studied (e.g., prosocial behaviours and academic performance).

The occurrence of PTSD has been linked to genetic predisposition, according to research. In a study of 3304 monozygotic and dizygotic male-male twin pair members with PTSD, previously researchers discovered that genetic variables influence all PTSD symptoms. On the one hand, stress can cause aberrant gene expression in cognition and neuroendocrine-related genes, leading to the development of PTSD. For example, PTSD may be caused by aberrant expression of Corticosterone-related genes. On the other hand, gene polymorphism may play a role in the development of PTSD.

d serotonin systems. A meta-analysis, for example, found that the 5-hydroxytryptaminentransporter (5-HTT) gene polymorphism is linked to post-stress affective disorder. Glucocorticoid receptor genes, GABA-A receptors, BDNF genes, and other genes have also been linked to PTSD. It’s worth mentioning that neuropsychiatric disease pathogenic genes are pleiotropic, meaning that one genotype can be sensitive to a variety of mental illnesses.

In PTSD, pleiotropy is readily visible. Anxiety and affective disorders, for example, they are substantially more common among PTSD sufferers than in the general population. Finally, PTSD is frequently associated with other mental diseases, such as depression and suicidal thoughts, making its clinical manifestations complex and varied. As a result, the homogeneity of the research sample declines, making genetic research even more challenging.

Natural disasters, large-scale human-caused accidents, mass shootings, war, and terrorism have all been proved to have negative consequences for children and adolescents. The diverse types of trauma, the level of exposure have consistently been linked to later post-traumatic stress reactions. Different impacts are likely to result from these distinctions. Many research conducted after the Wenchuan Earthquake, found that varying levels of disaster exposure might positively predict teenagers’ PTSD at various post-earthquake time points.

These are the various Evaluations and Epidemiological Characteristics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents.

1. Schnurr PP, Friedman MJ, Bernardy NC (2002) Research on posttraumatic stress disorder: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and assessment. J Clin Psychol 58: 877-889.

Indexed at   Google Scholar   Crossref    

2. Kar N (2009) Psychological impact of disasters on children: Review of assessment and interventions. World J Pediatr 5: 5-11.

Indexed at   Google Scholar   Crossref

3. DiGrande L, Perrin MA, Thorpe LE, Thalji L, Murphy J, et al. (2008) Posttraumatic stress symptoms, PTSD, and risk factors among lower Manhattan residents 2 ~ 3 years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. J Trauma Stress 21: 264-273.

Indexed at   Google Scholar   Crossref

4. Galea S, Ahern J, Resnick H, Kilpatrick D, Bu cuvalas M, Gold J, et al. (2002) Psychological sequelae of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. NEJM 346: 982-987.

Indexed at   Google Scholar   Crossref

5. Schlenger WE, Caddell JM, Ebert L, Jordan BK, Rourke KM, et al. (2002) Psychological reactions to terrorist attacks. JAMA 288: 58I-588I.

Indexed at   Crossref