Post traumatic stress - Essay Example

Running head: POST TRAUMATIC STRESS Posttraumatic Stress 30 June Posttraumatic Stress Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains one of the most frequently discussed topics in literature. Traumas usually do not pass without consequences, they leave serious trace in human soul. Million of adults and children suffer from post-traumatic disorder. Dozens of empirical studies were performed to explore the epidemiology, risk factors, and effects of posttraumatic stress on adults. Unfortunately, how posttraumatic stress is related to children remains poorly understood.

The current state of literature suggests that numerous events and factors can trigger posttraumatic stress in children, from a minor physical injury to earthquakes and wars. Psychological treatment has a potential to reduce the symptoms and complications of posttraumatic stress in children. The current state of empirical literature suggests that a whole range of factors and events can trigger the development of posttraumatic stress experiences in children. Dozens of studies confirm that children are particularly vulnerable to the risks of PTSD.

Aaron, Zaglul and Emery (1999) explored posttraumatic stress in children after acute physical injury. The researchers interviewed forty children 8-17 years old and concluded that many children hospitalized with physical injuries met diagnostic criteria for PTSD (Aaron et al, 1999). In a similar vein, Thabet and Vostanis (1999) analyzed posttraumatic symptoms investigating Palestinian children who suffered the emotional effects of war. War was found to heavily contribute to the development of posttraumatic experiences in Palestinian children: 72.

8% of children in the sample reported posttraumatic reactions to war traumas (Thabet & Vostanis, 1999). Natural disasters play an important role in the development of posttraumatic experiences in children: according to Greca, Silverman, Vernberg, and Prinstein (1996), “children’s exposure to hurricane Andrew was the basic predictor for the development of PTSD in children 3, 7, and 10 months after the disaster” (Greca, Silverman, Vernberg, and Prinstein, 1996). Apparently, children require special treatment approaches to cope with the difficulties caused by traumatic events of various kinds.

How to treat children with posttraumatic stress is a difficult question. Just a few studies tested treatment methodologies for children with PTSD. Chemtob, Nakashima & Carlson (2002) found that even a brief psychological intervention reduced the symptoms of posttraumatic stress in children. The treatment also reduced the scope of anxiety in children with PTSD (Chemtob et al, 2002). The importance of timely psychological interventions is justified by the fact that the symptoms and complications of posttraumatic stress in children tend to persist through adolescence into adulthood.

Barakat, Alderfer and Kazak (2006) discovered that the majority of adolescents who had survived cancer in early childhood still reported posttraumatic stress. Unfortunately, the scope of knowledge about posttraumatic stress in children is scarce that prevents physicians from providing children with necessary help on time. The future research must focus on the analysis of PTSD and the effects of various psychological interventions on children. References Aaron, J., Zaglul, H. & Emery, R.E. (1999).

Posttraumatic stress in children following acute physical injury. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 24(4), 335-343. Barakat, L.P., Alderfer, M.A. & Kazak, A.E. (2006). Posttraumatic growth in adolescent survivors of cancer and their mothers and fathers. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 31(4), 413-419. Chemtob, C.M., Nakashima, J.G. & Carlson, J.G. (2002). Brief treatment for elementary school children with disaster-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A field study’, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(1), 99-112. Greca, A.M.

, Silverman, W.K., Vernberg, E.M. & Prinstein, M.J. (1996). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress in children after Hurricane Andrew: A prospective study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(4), 712-23. Thabet, A.M. & Vostanis, P. (1999). Posttraumatic stress reactions in children of war. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40(3), 385-391.