PTSD in Children: Critical Thinking Questions

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PTSD in Children
Date: 2018
From: Gale In Context Online Collection
Publisher: Gale, a Cengage Company
Document Type: Topic overview
Length: 1,364 words
Content Level: (Level 4)
Lexile Measure: 1170L

Full Text:
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder caused by a traumatic event or events that one has witnessed or
experienced. PTSD often is associated with military veterans who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events during combat.
However, any group within the general population can have PTSD, including children. According to the National Center for PTSD, up
to 43 percent of children may survive a trauma during their childhood, and out of that number, 13 to 15 percent of girls and 1 to 6
percent of boys will develop PTSD.
Critical Thinking Questions

Critical Thinking Questions
What are the most common things that cause PTSD in children?
In what ways does PTSD in children differ from PTSD in adults?
In what ways is PTSD in children commonly treated?
Causes of PTSD in Children

Children may develop PTSD after surviving or witnessing a traumatic event. They may develop the disorder after being in a serious
accident, or after witnessing an event such as a school shooting or a natural disaster. Experts consider counseling after a traumatic
event to be important, especially for children. Early intervention often helps children process events better and can prevent PTSD
from developing.
Studies show that one of the leading causes of PTSD in children is sexual or physical abuse. Children who develop PTSD as a result
of abuse develop a different form of the disorder than do those who experience other traumas; this form is also different from that of
children who experience trauma when they are older. These studies focus not only on children who have suffered traumatic
experiences, but especially on those who have exhibited symptoms of PTSD. The studies have found genetic differences in children
with PTSD as a result of abuse, and those differences affect the way that those children's genes make proteins.
Although many children experience some type of traumatic event, not all of them will develop PTSD. Experts believe that the risk of a
child developing PTSD after a particular event depends on several factors. First, the serious nature of the traumatic event has an
impact on whether a child will develop PTSD as a result. Also, a child is at greater risk of developing PTSD if the trauma is part of a
recurring event. Another factor to consider is how close the child is to the traumatic event. Finally, when a child witnesses a traumatic
event, his or her relationship to the person experiencing the event will greatly influence the child's likelihood of developing PTSD.
Symptoms of PTSD in Children

Experts say that children in different stages of development will experience PTSD in different ways. Furthermore, children may not
have the same symptoms that adults with PTSD develop.
One major way that children may exhibit signs of PTSD is through the way they play. Children may make up games that relate to their
traumatic event. These games are a way of reliving the trauma, much in the way that adults with PTSD have flashbacks to traumatic
events. This is a way of fitting the traumatic event into the child's life in an effort to make sense of it. Unfortunately, experts say that
reliving traumatic events through play does nothing to relieve a child's anxiety.
Preschool-Aged Children
Very young children who are not yet in school may wet the bed long after they have been potty trained, or they may become mute,
which means they cannot or will not speak. Young children also may become more attached to their parent or guardian than they
were before experiencing the trauma.
School-Aged Children
Children from five to twelve years old may not relive the traumatic event in the same way that adults do, or they may remember the
traumatic events in an incorrect sequence. Children at this age with PTSD also might believe they saw warning signs that the
traumatic event was about to occur. As a result, they attempt to watch for similar signs of warning, thus believing that they can stop
another such event from occurring.
Teenagers
Teens with PTSD may have symptoms similar to those of adults, including feelings of agitation and flashbacks and nightmares.
Teenagers are more likely than younger children to act out on their feelings of aggression as a result of PTSD. Children may not
recognize these feelings or may only exhibit them through aggressive play, while adults may have feelings of depression instead of
aggression. Because they are not yet fully adults, yet are more mentally and physiologically developed than younger children,
teenagers might experience these feelings and act upon them. Teenagers with PTSD are also very likely to stop interacting with their
peers and to avoid social situations as much as possible.
Common Symptoms
Children and teenagers with PTSD may have low self-esteem and may feel as though they are outcasts. These feelings may lead to
behaviors such as cutting or other types of self harm. As the child enters adolescence, he or she is also more prone to engaging in
inappropriate sexual activities. Adolescents with PTSD also are at a higher risk of abusing alcohol or drugs. Like adults, some
children with PTSD, particularly teenagers, may feel guilty and believe they could have prevented the trauma.
Treatment Methods
Counseling following a traumatic event can be crucial in preventing PTSD. Experts advise early intervention, which involves creating
a support system that includes parents or guardians, other family members, school personnel, and peers. The support system
creates a place of safety and security for the child. If early intervention is not possible, or if the child develops PTSD despite early
efforts, other treatment options must be considered. Those treatment options depend on the child's age and the severity of the
disorder.
Younger Children
For preschool children, treatment often includes therapy with the participation of parents or guardians. The therapy uses the
relationship between the parent or guardian and the child to instill trust and comfort in the child.
Therapy for school-aged children with PTSD does not usually include parental participation, although some studies show that
parental participation can increase the likelihood of recovery. Therapy for this group allows the child with PTSD to talk about the
event, or to act it out in a safe space. Therapy also may allow a child with PTSD to express his or her fears about the event by
drawing or writing about it.
Adolescents and Teens

Treatment for adolescents or teenagers with PTSD often is similar to that for adults, with a focus on how they relate to their peers or
how they may have detached themselves from social groups. This includes therapy in both group and individual settings. Experts
believe that group therapy is especially important for teenagers with PTSD because they tend to withdraw from social interactions.
Group therapy helps teenagers with the disorder become more comfortable interacting with their peers again.
Medication
Children with PTSD are less likely than adults to be treated through medication. Children who do receive drug therapy often are
prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. This type of medication works as an antidepressant by balancing out a
chemical in the brain called serotonin. Serotonin is thought to be responsible for mood stabilization. Children with PTSD also may be
prescribed dopamine-blocking agents, because experts have noticed an increase in dopamine in children with PTSD.
Difficulties in Diagnosing and Treating Children

Many traumatized children, particularly those with abusive home lives, may not have the proper support system in place for them to
be accurately diagnosed with PTSD. These children may live in impoverished conditions, and may not have access to treatment.
Furthermore, children who attend schools that do not have proper counseling services in place may not have access to counseling.
These children could face a lifetime of issues because treatment is not available.
Many children are unable to express themselves verbally in the way that adults can. Because the child cannot put feelings into words,
he or she may not receive needed help. Medical professionals may find it difficult to gather information about the trauma.
Furthermore, if the child is a victim of abuse, he or she is less likely to give information about the abuser, especially if it is a family
member.
Words to Know
abuser
Someone who treats another person with cruelty or violence.
flashbacks
A sudden, vivid, and disturbing memory.
symptoms
A physical or mental feature that is commonly associated with a condition, injury, or disease.
trauma
A disturbing or distressing experience.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2019 Gale, a Cengage Company
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"PTSD in Children." Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Gale In Context: High School,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/FJPELD618872800/SUIC?u=sout10328&sid=SUIC&xid=86a78ad7. Accessed 27 Nov. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|FJPELD618872800

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Critical Thinking Questions

Causes of PTSD in Children

Symptoms of PTSD in Children

Adolescents and Teens

Difficulties in Diagnosing and Treating Children

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