Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), School Age

You said that your child experienced a very upsetting event. S/he has been having a lot of problems ever since. Almost all youngsters go through something that really affects them. Most children don't stay upset for very long. Some children, however, stay upset for a long time. They have the kinds of problems you mentioned. These children may have a problem called Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

You said your child was in one of following situations:

• Serious automobile accident
• Natural disaster (i.e. flood, fire, earthquake)
• The victim or a witness of physical abuse
• The victim or witness of sexual abuse
• The victim or witness of violence in the home or the community
• Told s/he has a life threatening illness
• Some other very upsetting situation

Right after the event, your child may have acted in some of the following ways:

• Seemed troubled, restless, or confused
• Was very fearful
• Felt powerless
• Was very angry
• Seemed sad or withdrawn
• Was horrified
• Acted as if the bad event didn't happen
• Didn't want to go to the place where the event happened

Your child may have re-experienced the traumatic event by:

• Often remembering or talking about the event
• Repeating the experience through play
• Having bad dreams about the event
• Having bad dreams about things like monsters, rescuing people, or people dying
• Feeling like the bad experience is happening again

You may also notice that your child:

• worries about dying at an early age
• is not interested in doing fun things
• has headaches or stomachaches
• has sudden changes in mood
• has problems falling or staying asleep
• is irritable or angry
• has trouble concentrating
• acts younger than his/her age (i.e. clingy or whiny, thumb-sucking)
• is overly aware of what's around him/her
• repeats behaviors that remind him/her of the trauma

The symptoms of PTSD usually last for at least one month and can sometimes last up to several years, if the child does not receive treatment.

Adapted in part from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Facts for Families© series (1997), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) (1996) , and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder: Fourth Edition (1994) .

How to Help your Child with PTSD

• Most children with PTSD need help from a doctor or child therapist.
• Supervise your child's exposure to any scary event, including media coverage.
• Invite your child to talk about it, but don't lecture
• Respond to your child's questions briefly and calmly
• Help your child put it in perspective
• Be honest that scary things can happen
• Emphasize the rarity of the event
• Remind your child that most news is only the bad news, not the good news