Creating awareness about post-traumatic stress: What are the risk factors for developing PTSD?
In 2010, Congress named June 27th National PTSD Awareness Day. Since then, mental health professionals have worked to foster awareness about post-traumatic stress for the entire month of June. Statistically, one out of every two people will experience a trauma or life-threatening event during their lifetime. Although 5.2 million adults are diagnosed with PTSD in any given year, less than 10% of the population will develop a post-traumatic stress disorder. Researchers are still unclear about what leads some individuals to develop PTSD while others do not. According to the National Center for PTSD, the nature of a traumatic event may make some individuals more vulnerable to developing a traumatic stress disorder (e.g., a traumatic event resulting in serious injury, direct exposure, perceptions of danger to self or others, feelings of helplessness, and/or chronic exposure to traumatic stressors). In addition, certain historical and sociodemographic characteristics have been linked to a higher incidence of PTSD (e.g., a childhood history of traumatic exposure, co-morbid mental health problems, a lack of social support, the recent loss of a loved one, stressful life changes, substance abuse problems, poor educational opportunities, being a female, and being of a younger age).
The following PTSD screening questions may be helpful in determining whether or not traumatic stressors are significantly impacting your life:
In your life, have you ever had any experience that was so frightening, horrible, or upsetting that,
in the past month, you:
❑ Have had nightmares about the experience or thought about it when you did not want to?
❑ Tried hard not to think about the experience or avoided situations that reminded you of it?
❑ Were constantly on guard, watchful, or easily startled?
❑ Felt numb or detached from others, activities, or your surroundings?
Research indicates that if you answered “yes” to three or more questions, you may want to consult with a mental health professional. While a positive screen does not mean that you have PTSD, a mental health practitioner can help assess whether or not a traumatic stressor(s) you have experienced is contributing to clinically significant impairments.