Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can occur in children who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as physical or sexual abuse, natural disasters, car accidents, or violence. PTSD can have a significant impact on a child's emotional and psychological well-being, development, and behavior. Unfortunately, PTSD often goes undetected in adolescents, especially when parents aren’t aware that their child suffered a traumatic event in the first place.
This is especially prevalent in young victims of child sexual abuse (CSA), whose suffering is more likely to be overlooked. Given that 90% of child sexual abuse victims know their perpetrators, CSA victims may not disclose their experiences immediately or at all due to fear, shame, and guilt–not to mention the constellation of damaging psychological effects that children tend to develop after experiencing life-altering sexual trauma.
What are some signs of PTSD in children? What are common symptoms of child PTSD, and how can it affect your child’s development and long-term health? Keep reading to learn PTSD symptoms to be aware of in children.
Common PTSD Symptoms in Children
The symptoms of PTSD can vary depending on the child's age, developmental level, personality, and the nature of the traumatic event. Some common symptoms of PTSD in children include:
PTSD Flashbacks
Many children re-experience traumatic events through nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive thoughts. These are known as PTSD flashbacks. Because the child's brain cannot integrate the traumatic event into their memory, many kids go on to relive the event repeatedly through sensory details, such as sights, sounds, smells, and touch.
PTSD flashbacks in children can present in various ways, making it all the more important for parents to recognize signs of distress in their child. Some children may have vivid and detailed visual flashbacks of the traumatic event, while others may experience physical sensations or emotional distress that reminds them of the trauma. Flashbacks can be triggered by a variety of stimuli, including movies, news stories, or even everyday objects or sounds that remind the child of the traumatic event.
It's essential for parents and caregivers to help their child cope with PTSD flashbacks by providing necessary support. Families should take care to be as calm and reassuring as possible to help reestablish the child's sense of safety in the world and cope with distressing symptoms. Some healthy PTSD coping strategies include deep breathing and mindfulness techniques, both of which can help the child regain agency in their lives and better manage flashbacks and related disturbances.
Traumatic Play (Traumatic Reenactment)
Traumatic play is a common behavior in children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can be a sign of unresolved trauma. Traumatic play involves children reenacting traumatic events or situations through their play, such as using dolls or action figures to act out violent or scary scenarios. This type of play can be distressing to parents and caregivers, but is often a natural way for children to process and make sense of their traumatic experiences.
It can help children to understand and process their feelings and emotions, which can be difficult for them to express verbally. It can also give children a sense of control over the traumatic event by allowing them to act out different scenarios and endings. However, if left unchecked, traumatic play can become persistent and disruptive, leading to further emotional distress and behavior problems.
It's essential for parents and caregivers to provide a safe and supportive environment for children to engage in their play and to monitor their play behavior for signs of distress. It's also important to seek professional help from a mental health specialist if the child's traumatic play becomes persistent, disruptive, or begins to interfere with their daily life. A mental health specialist can help the child process their trauma in a healthy and supportive way and provide strategies to manage their emotional distress.
Hypervigilance
Hypervigilance is another common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. It's a state of heightened alertness and sensitivity to potential danger or threats. Children with hypervigilance may be easily startled, constantly scanning their environment for signs of danger, and may have difficulty relaxing or sleeping.
Hypervigilance can manifest in children with PTSD for several reasons, including:
The child's brain is in survival mode – Traumatic events in childhood can result in children becoming hypervigilant as a means of protecting themselves from continued harm. This occurs because the child's brain and body is hyperalert in "survival mode," forcing them to stay in a constant state of fight-or-flight response.
Intrusive thoughts or memories – Another reason why hypervigilance manifests in children with PTSD is that they may be experiencing intrusive thoughts or memories of the traumatic event, including flashbacks. These thoughts and memories can trigger feelings of fear and anxiety, causing the child to be hypervigilant.
It's essential for caregivers to seek professional help from a mental health specialist if their child's hypervigilance becomes persistent, disruptive, or interferes with their daily life. A licensed child psychologist or mental health counselor can recommend trauma therapies that may be beneficial to your child, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to help them process their trauma and manage their PTSD symptoms.
Other symptoms in children with PTSD include:
Avoidance – Children may avoid places, people, or activities that remind them of the trauma
Mood changes – Negative changes in thoughts and mood, such as feeling guilty, depressed, or having low self-esteem
Regression – Many children with PTSD can revert back to certain behaviors atypical for their age, such as bedwetting, thumb-sucking, or clinging to caregivers
How Can PTSD Derail a Child's Life?
PTSD can inflict lasting damage on a child’s life, wreaking havoc on both their physical health and psychological well-being. Long-term effects of PTSD on a child’s life include social and academic difficulties, trouble forming lasting healthy relationships, vulnerability to abuse in adulthood, higher risk of serious health conditions (including cancer and heart disease), impaired daily functioning, and an overall reduced quality of life. Children with PTSD are also at an increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, mood disorders, suicidality, and other mental health conditions.
7 PTSD Symptoms for Parents to Look Out For in Children
Parents should be aware of the signs of PTSD in their children, particularly if they have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. Some common signs to watch out for include:
Frequent nightmares or difficulty sleeping
Excessive fear or anxiety
Regression such as bedwetting or thumb-sucking
Avoiding places, people, or activities that remind them of the trauma
Intense separation anxiety or clinginess
Somatic complaints with no known medical cause, such as headaches or stomach aches
Difficulties concentrating or irritability
If parents suspect that their child may have PTSD, they should seek professional help from a mental health provider who specializes in treating children with PTSD. Treatment may include cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Early intervention can help prevent the long-term effects of PTSD and improve a child's overall functioning.
Signs of PTSD in Child Development Stages
The symptoms of PTSD can manifest differently at various stages of child development. Consider these common PTSD symptoms that children can experience in early development:
Preschoolers – Children between the ages of 2 and 6 years may show signs of regression such as bedwetting, thumb-sucking, or forgetting how to speak. They may also have intense separation anxiety and become clingy, avoidant, or irritable.
Elementary School Children – Signs of PTSD in children between ages 6 and 12 include nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts. They may also have difficulty concentrating, become hypervigilant, and experience somatic complaints such as headaches or stomach aches.
Middle & High Schoolers – Children aged 13-18 years often experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder. They may also engage in risky behaviors, such as substance abuse and self-harm, and become sexually active earlier in life.
Help Us End Voiding Cystourethrogram (VCUG) in Pediatric Care
Since 1994, doctors have known that pediatric VCUGs in pediatric care results in the same symptoms and lasting psychological effects of child sexual abuse. Join the movement to end VCUG in children to save them from permanent physical and psychological harm.
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How can the medical profession have license to do anything to a child without care for the psychological impacts of examinations or procedures involving private parts of a child's body. In no circumstances should anything be done to the intimate parts of a child's body by force or without their consent. If the child is not consenting, and there is no alternative, then the medical profession has a duty of care to provide anethesia to guard the child from PTSD and iatrogenic csa.