Data from the most recent National Survey of Adolescents and other studies indicate that one in four children and adolescents in the United States experiences at least one potentially traumatic event before the age of 162, and more than 13% of 17-year-olds—one in eight—have experienced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives.
Most, if not all, of these young people also have access to a wide range of psychoactive substances that can both dull the effects of stress and place teens at increased risk of experiencing trauma. It is estimated that 29% of adolescents–nearly one in three–have experimented with illegal drugs by the time they complete 8th grade, and 41% have consumed alcohol.4 For many adolescents, such early experimentation eventually progresses to abuse of—or dependence on—illicit drugs or alcohol. Every year, approximately one in five American adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 engages in abusive/dependent or problematic use of illicit drugs or alcohol.
Share This Post!
The True Link Between Early Trauma and Adult Mental Health
By David Rettew M.D., ABCs of Child Psychiatry The last decade of the 1990s was often labeled the “Decade of the Brain,” as many mental health clinicians and researchers emphasized biological [...]
What’s the Best Treatment for PTSD in Children?
By Joan Kaufman, PhD Joan Kaufman, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University, discusses the different stages of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy, or TF-CBT, the best evidence-based intervention for children who [...]
Expert Consensus Regarding Indicators of a Traumatic Reaction in Autistic Youth: A Delphi Survey
By Connor M Kerns, Diana L Robins, Paul T Shattuck, Craig J Newschaffer, & Steven J Berkowitz It has been suggested that the sequelae of trauma are under-recognized in youth on the autism spectrum. [...]
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events
By Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center Children and adolescents are exposed to a number of different traumatic events that can spark a lot of emotions and physical reactions. The effects of [...]
Trauma screening may help connect children to specific mental health services
By Penn State Each year between 200,000 and 270,000 children and youth enter foster care placements with child welfare services, and many more children receive child welfare services while remaining in [...]
The Mental Health of Minority and Marginalized Young People: An Opportunity for Action
By Vivek H. Murthy, Surgeon General Mental health is an essential part of overall health. It not only affects the ability of young people to succeed in school, at work, and [...]