Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among School-Age Adolescent

Khalid Astitene,Hassan Aguenaou,Laila Lahlou,Amina Barkat

doi:10.31579/2637-8892/083

Abstract

Aim After a traumatic event, the person can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the purpose of the study is to assess the prevalence of PTSD in adolescents in public middle schools of the prefecture of Salé in Morocco and study anxiety and depression which are the comorbid disorders of the PTSD. Methods 523 students were selected by the cross-sectional method from twenty five schools that were randomly selected, the age of the students vary between 12 and 17 years. For the survey, standardized questionnaires (the socio-demographic data, the Life Events Checklist, the CPTS-RI, the STAIY and the CDI) were used which were filled in by the students. Results The prevalence of PTSD was 70.4% in the students who have PTSD. We found that the prevalence in boys was 46.74%, while in girls it was 53.26%. In addition to that, 81% of students found to be anxious and 51.8% of students have depression. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among adolescents. There are practical implications for the support and care of these adolescents.

Highlights

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been categorized into anxiety disorders
According to an international consensus, almost all children and adolescents exposed to a traumatic event are likely to have immediate stress reactions, a significant proportion of which will develop into PTSD
- The CPTS-RI (Children's Post Traumatic Stress Reaction Index) to assess symptoms of PTSD after exposure to a traumatic event [7], it is a scale of 20 items intended for children from 6 to 16 years old, each item of the scale is rated in 5 levels

Summary

Introduction

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been categorized into anxiety disorders. It is characterized by the development of specific symptoms following exposure to an extreme traumatic event that has involved death, threat of death, serious injury and/or threat to the physical integrity of the person and/or others. According to an international consensus, almost all children and adolescents exposed to a traumatic event are likely to have immediate stress reactions, a significant proportion of which will develop into PTSD. The adolescents may show specificities with extreme reactions than in adults such as becoming more impulsive or consuming substances in an abusive way [2]

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