Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Gender Differences in Children

Posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, was first introduced in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association. Prior to that time, other diagnoses were used to label this specific condition. PTSD had historically been applied to understand reactions to war or combat experiences. It was then broadened to be applied to natural disasters and other traumatic events. Today, it is understood that PTSD can result from a variety of traumas and traumatic situations, singular experiences, or ongoing experiences at any point during life. PTSD can occur at any age and can affect young children who have experienced a trauma. Boys and girls have similar reactions to trauma, and there are minimal gender differences with regard to rates of PTSD. Differences between boys and girls who have PTSD ...