14 DAY TRIAL // A group of investigators at the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) was recently able to discover in a study a new reason why only some children who underwent abuse early on in their life go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder as young adults. The team argues that the research was largely centered on adolescent girls who were maltreated during childhood.
Interestingly, other investigations have suggested that early exposure to aggression or various types of traumas can be used as a clear indicator to assess future PTSD risk. However, scientists soon found that not all kids who underwent such events developed this mental health issue, but they could not figure out why. The new study brings a fresh perspective on this issue.
The work was conducted by Penn State assistant professor of human development and family studies Chad Shenk. The team determined that adolescent girls who had undergone traumatic experiences over the past year, and were willing to share their stories with researchers, were less likely to develop PTSD.
Conversely, girls who were not very likely to share their experiences with researchers, and opted instead to keep things to themselves, had a higher incidence of PTSD one year later. This suggests that sharing aspects of painful thoughts, emotions, and experiences somehow helps the human brain cope better and avoid developing PTSD.
A higher incidence of the mental disorder was identified in adolescent girls who avoided discussing the emotions and thoughts stemming from their experiences outright. “Avoidance is something we all do. Sometimes it is easier not to think about something,” explains Shenk,
“But when we rely on avoidance as a coping strategy […] that is when there may be negative consequences,” the expert adds. Details of the new investigation were published in the latest issue of the esteemed journal Development and Psychopathology.
Statistically speaking, Shenk's team found, around 40 percent of children who underwent maltreatment go on to develop PTSD later on in life. As such, future studies should be focused on determining what allows the other 60 percent of kids to avoid this disorder altogether.
“Children and adolescents react very differently to abuse, and we don't yet know who is going to develop PTSD and who won't. What factors explain who will develop PTSD and who will not? This study attempted to identify those causal pathways to PTSD,” the team leader explains.
The new investigation also included scientists from the University of North Carolina, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and the Network on Child Protection and Well-Being. The study was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Penn State.