Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Expert Research: Are You at High Risk?

The following article will address the following questions which may be of interest to readers.

 How likely are you to experience a trauma in your lifetime?

 If you experience a trauma, how likely is it that you will develop PTSD?

 Does prior trauma contribute to development of PTSD?

 Why does it matter that we know what the risk factors are for PTSD?

 Are certain brain regions more involved with PTSD than others?

TRAUMA CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE

In your lifetime, you are more likely than not to experience a traumatic event. Research has revealed that at least 75% of adults and youth will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. 

 Examples of trauma may include being exposed to a natural disaster, seeing someone seriously injured or killed, being the victim of a sexual assault, or being in a serious accident or fire. People exposed to these events may feel horror, shame, and or a sense of helplessness that may set off he PTSD syndrome.

 Despite the high percentage of exposure for us, only a minority of people will develop Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Risk of development is less that 50%, even for very severe trauma.1

 Researchers have been attempting to discover why some people develop PTSD after a trauma and others do not. To date, they have not had good success. They have found that about 20% of the risk of developing PTSD comes from factors in the person’s environment.2  

 Of those risk factors identified, the biggest predictors were found to be family history of mental health problems, prior trauma, and psychological adjustment of the person prior to the trauma exposure.  If we know who is more at risk, then we might be able to prevent the development of PTSD or intervene early to limit the severity of the problem for trauma victims.

 What Happens to the Brain In PTSD?

 People who develop PTSD develop a smaller hippocampus.  This part of the brain is responsible for processing your memories.  This may explain why some PTSD suffers have short-term memory problems. Other research has found that the amygdala, or that part of the brain involved with emotions, has a higher sensitivity. 

This is a problem because the middle prefrontal cortex or part of the brain above your eyes, is less active. This means the person with PTSD is less able to manage their emotions. Still other studies have should that these differences might increase a person’s vulnerability to developing PTSD in the first place.3

 The Role of the Amygdala in PTSD Development

 In a recent study, researchers examined individuals exposed to a terrorist attack. 4   They examined 15 adolescents who had prior brain imaging and who were exposed to the 2013 Boston Marathon terrorist attack and the manhunt that followed. They could compare brain imaging from before and after the attack.

 They found that amygdala reactivity likely represents a biological signal of vulnerability to PTSD and a risk factor for developing not only PTSD but depression and general anxiety.

 Bottom Line on Trauma Exposure

The bottom line is that if you have been exposed to trauma you may be a heightened risk for developing PTSD.  Seeking early intervention and developing ways to reduce amygdala reactivity could be very helpful in inoculating you from developing this difficult emotionally painful disorder.

Consider a FREE no obligation 20-minute strategy session if you have been exposed to a trauma.

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REFERENCES

1.     Dohrenwend BP, Turner JB, Turse NA, et al. The psychological

risks of Vietnam for U.S. veterans: a revisit with new data and

methods. Science 2006; 313:979–982.

2.     Ozer EJ, Best SR, Lipsey TL, Weiss DS. Predictors of post-

traumatic stress disorder and symptoms in adults: a meta-analysis.   Psychol Bull 2003; 129:52–73.

3.     Shin LM, Bush G, Milad MR, et al. Exaggerated activation of 

dorsal anterior cingulate cortex during cognitive interference: a

monozygotic twin study of posttraumatic stress disorder. Am J

Psychiatry 2011; 168:979–985.

4.     McLaughlin, KA, Busso, DS, Duys, A, et al. Amygdala response to negative stimuli predicts PTSD symptom onset following a terrorist attack.  Depression and Anxiety 2014; 31:834-842.