Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescence

Post-traumatic stress disorder is increasingly recognized to be a prevalent and disabling disorder in children and adolescents, in both the developed and the developing world. Although there have been important advances in the area of research in understanding the diagnosis and assessment of PTSD in children, there is still an urgent need for further research in this area. This paper focuses on the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a variety of traumatic situations, with particular emphasis to children and adolescence. The history, diagnostic criteria, epidemiology and assessment of PTSD in children are discussed. Some treatments for PTSD in children and implications for health professionals are also suggested.