Without proper help, a person’s trauma may haunt them years later, causing negative mental health effects. How parents, guardians, caretakers and other important people in a teenager’s life respond to their trauma can have a dramatic impact. A person may even suppress any reaction to the event, only for symptoms to emerge suddenly later in life. While these symptoms often develop along this timeline, any symptom can develop at any time following a traumatic event. Loss of interest in hobbies, friends, school, or other aspects of life.Becoming sexually active or increasing sexual activity.Extreme reactions to minor issues and irritations.Avoiding places and situations related to the event.Repetitively mentioning or discussing the event.Refusal to speak or think about the triggering event.Behavioral and emotional changes, such as being quiet, noisy, irritable, or overly “good”.Separation issues, such as “clinging” to people they are comfortable with.Feeling as if the world does not make sense.Feeling stunned, shocked, or frightened.Often, some issues develop immediately, while others may present themselves after a significant period. However, several symptoms tend to affect most people with a history of trauma. Signs and Symptoms of Teenage TraumaĮvery young person is different. Beyond that, even if a person doesn’t experience these issues themselves, witnessing them can cause trauma. Teens often face racism, discrimination and bullying. Household challenges, such as difficult divorces, mental illness, exposure to violence, and substance use disorders, also pose a significant threat to psychological and emotional wellbeing.Īdditionally, children tend to heavily value their relationships with their peers, which can serve as another vehicle for trauma. In the last several years, teenagers have had to manage a global pandemic and everything that a situation of that scale brings, from the infection itself to schooling changes, lack of social activity, economic challenges, and more. Chronic illness, hospitalizations, or accidents are all capable of leaving long-standing effects. Neglect is another common source of trauma.īeyond these, medical traumas are also quite common in teens. For children and teenagers, some of the most damaging trauma are those involving abuse, especially physical or sexual abuse. However, several issues regularly leave marks on a person’s psyche. It’s impossible to list every event that could give a teenager trauma. Of the children who have trauma, 3-15 percent of girls and 1-6 percent of boys develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Other findings state numbers as high as 43 percent for both girls and boys. Some sources state 15 percent of girls and 14 percent of boys go through at least one traumatic event. In some cases, a teen may develop trauma because of something a friend or classmate experiences.Ĭhildhood psychological trauma is unfortunately quite common. Single incidents like accidents or natural disasters may be responsible, as well as ongoing issues like domestic violence, serious illness, or accumulating stress. Teenagers may develop trauma as a response to any number of events. Trauma can also be extremely variable: An event that causes lasting distress in one person may not have significant effect on another. At their core, traumatic events are experiences that cause physical, emotional or psychological harm. Trauma can be extremely difficult to quantify and recognize, especially in children and teenagers. Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?.Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance.Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?.Shatterproof FHE Health (First Responders).

Signs and symptoms of trauma