Comparison of traumatic symptoms severity of adolescents educated in some state high schools in Istanbul and exposed to traumatic and distressing events

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms between adolescents who were exposed to traumatic events and those who were exposed to distressing events in the previous year. Besides, the severity of the posttraumatic stress symptoms with respect to the event characteristics (namely interpersonal and not interpersonal), and gender was investigated. Method: Study group was composed of 781 adolescents in total. From among them, 325 adolescents exposed to traumatic or distressing events in the previous year were selected. The age range of the participants was between 14-19 years (16.24 ±1.02). Data were collected through The Post Traumatic Diagnostic Scale and The Traumatic Experiences Information Form. Results: According to results, the total severity scores of traumatic symptoms, total score of re-experiencing, avoidance and arousal subscales did not show difference with respect to the type of trauma (traumatic event, distressing event and both traumatic and distressing event). Besides, the group of participants exposed to interpersonal trauma had significantly higher scores on the severity of traumatic symptoms than those exposed to non-interpersonal trauma. Finally, women had significantly higher scores on the severity of traumatic symptoms, as well as on re-experiencing, avoidance and arousal subscales. Discussion: Findings suggest that negative life events which happened within the previous year, regardless of meeting the diagnostic criteria, may create a risk for PTSD for adolescents suffering from highly severe traumatic symptoms, which is a critical factor in effective intervention planning. Additionally, the findings contributes to the discussion about the expanding the A Criteria