Etiology of Traumatic Stress Disorders

There are many factors in a person's psychological and biological makeup, relationships and resources and life experiences (including non-traumatic and supportive experiences as well as traumatic stressors) that influence the path or trajectory that will lead that person to encounter traumatic stressors and to resist, recover from or persistently suffer from postrraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fortunately, many people never encounter a traumatic stressor in their lives, but most (children as well as adults) will experience at least one and often two or more traumatic stressors. Even then, PTSD is far from inevitable, occurring only for 10–20% of people exposed to a traumatic stressor. The person's strengths and limitations, and those of her or his family, community and society, play a key role in determining whether PTSD will occur and, if so, whether recovery will occur. The risk, vulnerability and protective factors identified through careful clinical observation and rigorous scientific research studies provide a basis for developing assessment measures and treatment and prevention interventions that can further reduce the risk of PTSD and enhance recovery from PTSD.