PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Specific Populations

While there are fundamental principles of good trauma treatment that apply to all patients, an understanding of the experiences and needs of specific populations can improve care.

Military

• Provider Guide to Addressing Veterans' Reactions to Large-Scale Traumatic Events
  Learn strategies to address Veteran needs following events such as war, terrorism, mass violence or disasters that occur in the U.S. or abroad.
• Addressing Veterans' Reactions to Large-Scale Traumatic Events
  Tips for VA Staff to create a positive and comfortable environment, facilitate referrals and provide resources to Veterans who have needs following events such as war, terrorism, mass violence or disasters.
• Provider Guide to Addressing Veterans' Reactions to Current Events in Ukraine
  Read tips to check in with and support Veterans who may be experiencing strong emotions related to the invasion in Ukraine.
• Types of Trauma
  Read more articles that describe common military traumas and Veteran-specific stressors with treatment considerations.

Women

• Research on Women, Trauma and PTSD
  Reviews the research on women's experiences of trauma and PTSD, with a focus on differences between women and men.

People of Color

• Provider Guide to Addressing Patient Reactions to Race-Based Violence During PTSD Treatment
  Discusses case formulation and treatment decision-making considerations for providers who face emerging patient needs related to race-based violence events during the course of PTSD therapy.
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Racial Trauma (PDF)
  This edition of our PTSD Research Quarterly (February, 2021) provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the adverse impact, underlying mechanisms, assessment and treatment of racial trauma and PTSD.
• Racial and Ethnic Disparities in PTSD (PDF)
  This edition of our PTSD Research Quarterly (October, 2020) provides a guide to some of the key topics in racial and ethnic disparities in PTSD and PTSD treatment.

LGBTQ+ People

• Trauma, Discrimination and PTSD Among LGBTQ+ People
  Describes the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ people who have experienced trauma, discrimination and PTSD.
• Assessment and Treatment Considerations for Working With LGBTQ+ Clients With PTSD
  Includes considerations for assessment, case conceptualization and treatment approaches for PTSD that are relevant to LGBTQ+ people and offer gender affirming care.

Older Adults

• PTSD Assessment and Treatment in Older Adults
  Discusses assessment strategies and treatment interventions for older adults based upon patient age and the broader context of aging processes.
• Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Older Adults: A Review
  Includes review of research on PTSD in older adults, including trauma exposure, epidemiology, reemergence of symptoms, and Late-Onset Stress Symptomatology (LOSS).

Clients at End of Life

• PTSD and End of Life: Clinical Considerations for PTSD in Palliative or Hospice Care
  Learn about emerging guidelines to support care teams working with families and patients facing end of life (EOL) with pre-existing PTSD, which can complicate the dying process due to chronic symptoms or a flare of symptoms.

Families

• PTSD and the Family
  Discusses connections between PTSD and the quality of relationships with loved ones, including children, and reviews treatment implications and relevant resources for families.

Children

• Trauma, PTSD, and Attachment in Infants and Young Children
  Discusses epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of trauma-related problems in infants and young children, with a special focus on the role of attachment.
• PTSD for Children 6 Years and Younger
  Describes the DSM-5 subtype of PTSD in preschool children (ages 6 and younger) and reviews symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment considerations.
• PTSD in Children and Adolescents
  Provides an overview of PTSD in children and adolescents, including common causal events, prevalence, risk factors associated with PTSD and other effects of trauma, as well as treatment options.

Non-Combatants

• Mental Health Aspects of Prolonged Combat Stress in Civilians
  Describes how civilians respond to prolonged stress with the intent of helping clinicians predict how U.S. civilians may be affected by the war in Afghanistan.

People with Severe Mental Illness

• Effects of Disaster on People with Severe Mental Illness
  Discusses the relationship between severe mental illness (SMI) and PTSD following a traumatic event. Includes suggestions for mental health needs of those with SMI following trauma.

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