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Impact of Gender on Child and Adolescent PTSD

  • Sex and Gender Issues in Behavioral Health (CN Epperson, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review examines the recent literature on biological factors that influence sex differences in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during childhood and adolescence, focusing on neurobiological, hormonal, and genetic factors that may increase risk in girls.

Recent Findings

More than 60% of children and adolescents are exposed to traumatic events, and many develop PTSD. There is increasing recognition of gender differences in PTSD, with women having double the rates of the disorder compared to men. These gender differences in symptoms and their underlying neurobiology appear to emerge during adolescence, although it is still unclear which biological mechanisms may play key roles in the development of sex difference.

Summary

The literature on gender effects in children and adolescents is still in the early stages, and more prospective and longitudinal work is needed; however, estrogen appears to play a key role in increasing risk for PTSD in girls, which emerges in adolescence.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Kristie Garza & Tanja Jovanovic

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 49 Jesse Hill Jr Dr NE, Suite 331, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA

    Tanja Jovanovic

Authors
  1. Kristie Garza
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  2. Tanja Jovanovic
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tanja Jovanovic.

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Conflict of Interest

Kristie Garza and Tanja Jovanovic receive support from National Institutes of Health (MH100122, MH111682), and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sex and Gender Issues in Behavioral Health

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Garza, K., Jovanovic, T. Impact of Gender on Child and Adolescent PTSD. Curr Psychiatry Rep 19, 87 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0830-6

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