Abstract
ObjectivesOur main goal is to understand the demographics and psychiatric comorbidities and to evaluate the risk of suicidal behaviors in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) adolescents.MethodsWe included 159,500 adolescents (age, 12 to 18 years) with a primary psychiatric diagnosis from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from January to December 2014 and grouped them by a diagnosis of PTSD (N = 21,230 [13.3%]). A logistic regression model was used to measure the odds ratio (OR) for suicidal behaviors in PTSD versus non-PTSD cohorts.ResultsA higher proportion of PTSD adolescents were females (75.7%) and whites (63.6%). The most prevalent psychiatric comorbidities in PTSD inpatients (vs. non-PTSD) were anxiety disorders (100% vs. 31.9%) and mood disorders (89.4% vs. 84.7%). About 48.7% of PTSD inpatients had suicidal behaviors and had a higher risk (OR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.19-1.26; P < 0.001) compared to that seen in 43.6% of the non-PTSD cohort.ConclusionsDiagnosis of PTSD is prevalent in adolescents, especially females and whites, with anxiety and mood disorders being the most prevalent comorbidities. There exists a significant association between PTSD and suicidal behaviors, with an increased risk of 23% in adolescents.
Highlights
About 48.7% of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) inpatients had suicidal behaviors and had a higher risk compared to that seen in 43.6% of the non-PTSD cohort
Diagnosis of PTSD is prevalent in adolescents, especially females and whites, with anxiety and mood disorders being the most prevalent comorbidities
There exists a significant association between PTSD and suicidal behaviors, with an increased risk of 23% in adolescents
Summary
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric illness that develops after an individual is exposed to traumatic life events. The prevalence of trauma among high-risk children was about 15% to 43% in girls and 14% to 43% in boys who were subjected to at least one traumatic event in a lifetime. At least 3% to 15% of girls and 1% to 6% of boys develop PTSD [1]. Children show less distress due to which the prevalence of PTSD may be lower in children than adults. The risk of PTSD is seen in a higher proportion of white females and adolescents (12 to 14 years) those from lower socioeconomic status, and rural residents [2]. Other risk factors include negative coping behaviors, lack of support system, and chronic childhood trauma [3]
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