Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among School-Age Adolescent

Abstract

Aim After a traumatic event, the person can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the purpose of the study is to assess the prevalence of PTSD in adolescents in public middle schools of the prefecture of Salé in Morocco and study anxiety and depression which are the comorbid disorders of the PTSD. Methods 523 students were selected by the cross-sectional method from twenty five schools that were randomly selected, the age of the students vary between 12 and 17 years. For the survey, standardized questionnaires (the socio-demographic data, the Life Events Checklist, the CPTS-RI, the STAIY and the CDI) were used which were filled in by the students. Results The prevalence of PTSD was 70.4% in the students who have PTSD. We found that the prevalence in boys was 46.74%, while in girls it was 53.26%. In addition to that, 81% of students found to be anxious and 51.8% of students have depression. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among adolescents. There are practical implications for the support and care of these adolescents.