Child and PTSD
THE CURSE OF EMOTIONAL TRAUMA
Post-traumatic Disorder
Nature equipped the body with an inherent mechanism to avoid danger or defend oneself against it (NIMH, 2013). But in some persons, this naturally protective mechanism goes haywire and the reaction to fight or flee remains even in the absence of real danger. This abnormal condition is called post-traumatic disorder (NIMH).
The condition grows out of a horrifying experience of physical violence or threat in the person, a loved one or even a stranger as witnessed by the person who later develops the condition (NIMH, 2013). PTSD was first recognized as a mental and emotional condition among returning war veterans. But it can also develop from other traumatic experiences, such as rape, torture, beating, captivity, accidents, fires, road accidents or natural disasters (NIMH).
Social Workers and PTSD
The social worker performs a number of professional roles. They act as brokers, advocates, case managers, educators, facilitators, organizers, and managers. In handling PTSD cases, the social worker functions fundamentally as a case manager (CSC, n.d.). As a case manager, she helps the client locate the services needed and how to access them. She handles difficult situations, such as homelessness, helplessness, physical and mental health conditions like PTSD, crime victimization and vulnerability in children. In the process, however, she performs the other roles in connection with the nature of PTSD (CSC).
But social workers are as human as anybody else. Their task as frontline professionals to assist victims of violence and disasters cope with their traumas exposes them to the same traumas as their victims (Nauert, 2007; University of Chicago, 2007). New studies found that repeated exposures or narrations of trauma from victims render social workers vulnerable to developing PTSD themselves. One such study was conducted by Assistant Professor Brian Bride of the University of the Georgia School of Social Work. Findings showed that 7.8% of the general population experienced PTSD in their lifetime. In comparison, 15% of social workers surveyed experienced the condition (Nauert, University of Chicago).
Over and above assisting disaster victims, social workers also hear from children accounts of their own misfortunes (Nauert, 2007; University of Chicago, 2007). These children undergo a variety of stressful or traumatic situations, such as aggression, incest and sexual abuse. Assistant Professor Bride found that social workers who repeatedly hear and absorb such accounts over and over again and as part of their profession undergo secondary traumatic stress disorder. This side effect was only recently recognized by researchers in the spouses of returning war veterans and among the families of survivors of the holocaust. Bride's study was the first of its kind to explore the phenomenon among social workers (Nauert, University of Chicago).
From his sample group of 300 practicing social workers in mental health and substance abuse, child welfare and school social work, Bride listed and rated the effects of PTSD on the practitioners (Nauert, 2007; University of Chicago, 2007). Of the total surveyed, 40% continued to have thoughts about the clients' traumas unconsciously; 22% experienced detachment from others; 26% experienced emotional numbness; 28% felt that their lives would be short; 27% were irritable; and 28% had concentration problems. Although the rate of secondary traumatic stress has been found to be significant among social workers, the awareness about the problem is inadequate. When they suffer from work burnout, they may mistake it for a lack of self-care rather than possible secondary PTSD (Nauert, University of Chicago).
Bride's recommendations include educating social work students on understanding and minimizing the risk of secondary PTSD; employers' provision for continuing education on the phenomenon, reasonable workloads, support, time-off and mental health insurance; professionals' involvement in enjoyable activities of their choice; and the sharing of schedule of most difficult and distressing cases (University of Chicago, 2007; Nauert 2007). He warned incoming social workers about the potential of PTSD's debiting the quality of care they could provide. If not appropriately handled, this phenomenon may cause them to abandon their profession. Bride also suspected that this could one reason why social workers give up on their profession (University of Chicago, Nauert).
II. Problem Overview
Prevalence, Populations Affected
Child protective agencies receive reports of approximately 3 million PTSD cases every year, 5.5 million which are those of children (JIF, 2005). Of this number, 30% have evidence of abuse and the different types of abuse. These are 65% neglect, 18% physical abuse, and 7% psychological or mental abuse. Statistics also reveals that 3-10 million children experience or witness violence at home every year. About 40% to 60% of the cases involve physical abuse. Yet a large...
Not all physical force can be characterized as violence, and not all violence is created equal. There are numerous controversies regarding definitions of violence and abuse and no clear consensus among researchers on how to characterize acts as one or the other. Presumably, there should be commonalities among different types of violence so that all can be characterized first as violence, and yet some violence is socially approved and so
Overall Assessment Overall each of the articles contribute significantly to the study of PTSD. The impact of memory and learning issues for those that have the disorder should not be downplayed as such issues can negatively impact the quality of life for those with the disorder. Each of the articles provide answers to disqualify certain hypotheses and qualified others as worth further study Overall Assessment. With each of the articles the medical and
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most commonly associated with war veterans. Researchers have, however, increasingly recognized this condition in women, children, and men from all backgrounds and for a variety of reasons. According to Roberts et al. (2011), the condition results from the experience of an event that is traumatic, and that makes the individual feel helpless, horrified, or afraid. A common factor among sufferers of
It is difficult to get an accurate record of the actual number of children that have been sexually abused. Many cases never come to light and because of differences in definitions of sexual assault, some cases are missed (658). Researchers have begun to explore the concept of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with children and adults that were victims of sexual assault. Many times people associate particular events with particular stimuli. For
One important aspect was that research findings suggested that PTSD was more common than was thought to be the case when the DSM-III diagnostic criteria were formulated. (Friedman, 2007, para.3) the DSM-IV diagnosis of PTSD further extends the formalization of criteria as well as the methodological consistency for PTSD and now includes six main criteria. The first of these criteria qualifies the meaning of trauma. A traumatic event is
In civilian life, such individuals will have gained a traditional ethical education whereas in a combat context, such individuals will have been instructed on the use of lethal force. According to Willis, "habit and practice help the willingness and capacity to kill on command. The new recruit or volunteer may, and likely has, the innate reservation against killing anyone. Yet day in and day out, the 'normal' person is
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