pediatrics
Acute and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders (ASD and PTSD) in Children and Adolescents
Key Points
ASD typically begins immediately after the trauma and lasts from 3 days to 1 month; PTSD lasts for>1 month and can be a continuation of ASD or may manifest up to 6 months after the trauma. Stress disorders may start after children directly experience a traumatic event, if they witness one, or learn that one happened to a close family member. Symptoms of ASD and PTSD are similar and usually involve a combination of intrusion symptoms (eg, reexperiencing the event), avoidance symptoms, negative effects on cognition and/or mood (eg, emotional numbing), altered arousal and/or reactivity, and dissociative symptoms. Treat with trauma-based psychotherapy and, in children with comorbid anxiety, depression and/or sleep difficulties, SSRIs; sometimes antiadrenergic medications may be helpful. 