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what is PTSD and the difference in it between children and adults

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Running head: PTSD AND THE DIFFERENCE IN IT BETWEEN CHILDREN AND ADULTS

PTSD and the Difference in it Between Children and Adults
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PTSD AND THE DIFFERENCE IN IT BETWEEN CHILDREN AND ADULTS

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Introduction
There are a number of differences and similarities when evaluating the Post Traumatic
Stress Disorders (PTSD) among children and adults. Both children and adolescents with symptoms
of the PTSD have at one point been exposed to the chronic trauma of maltreatment, physical injury
and community violence. In children, the exposure and experiences resulting from the diagnosis
of the PTSD influence the development of the child, their mental being and their ability to build
future relationships in their adulthood. Thesis statement: This paper seeks to review the PTSD, its
history and the differences in symptomatology among children and adults diagnosed with PTSD
and evaluates the differences in diagnosing PTSD among children and adults as well as in
treatment.
PTSD
According to Weisaeth (2002), there have been references of traumatic stress and related
psychological reactions from as early as 2100 B.C. However, according to the scholar, the study
of traumatic stress in Europe began in the late 19th century with the publication of a report on
victims of a railway accident by an English surgeon, John Eric Erichsen (Weisaeth, 2002;
Goodman, 2011). The report by Erichsen concluded that despite the victims had no physical
injuries; they exhibited symptoms of anxiety, memory lapse, nightmares, and difficulty in
concentrating (Weisaeth, 2002). Although surgeon, John Eric Erichsen attributed the symptoms to
an organic cause instead of a psychological one, the report established a foundation for research
on traumatic stress (Goodman, 2011). Eischen’s conclusion was later rebutted by surgeon Herbert
Page positing that the symptoms exhibited by the accident victims were psychological in nature
and termed them as “nervous shock” (Goodman, 2011). The impact of WWI and WWII enhances
awareness of traumatic stress leading to the diagnostic impression of Post Traumatic Disorder

PTSD AND THE DIFFERENCE IN IT BETWEEN CHILDREN AND ADULTS

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(PTSD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) (Goodman, 2011). Subsequently, the
definition of PTSD was established.
According to Wellington et al. (2008), PTSD is a specific type of anxiety disorder that
occurs after exposure to a horrifying and traumatic event. Some of the experiences of a PTSD in
adults are flashbacks, nightmares, hyperarousal, dissociation and re-experiencing the trauma
through vivid recollections (Grogan, et al., 2011). However, these symptoms vary among children,
adolescents, and adults. Studies indicate that children exhibit PTSD symptomology differently
compared to adults depending on the stage of development of the child. For instance, young
children or toddlers with developmental delays have a high susceptibility to PTSD. The child may
portray regressive behaviors, experience sleep disturbances, and insomnia. However, unlike in
adults, children do not experience flashbacks (Grogan and Murphy, 2011).
Course and Impact
According to Bui et al. (2010), it has been shown that the symptoms of PTSD among adults
improves from the twelfth month following the exposure to a traumatic event. However, data
suggests that the courses of PTSD without ...

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