HJNO Mar/Apr 2022

42 MAR / APR 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS CHILDREN’S HEALTH PTSD can be considered a “normal” reaction to an abnormal event. If there is to be one silver lining associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that it has raised awareness about what trauma and PTSD can look like in children, reducing the stigma that often exists when it comes to seeking mental health treatment after a trauma. Defining PTSD and Trauma Trauma and PTSD are terms that are often confused. Trauma is an event that happens to someone, while PTSD is the COLUMN CHILDREN’S HEALTH psychological experience resulting from experiencing a traumatic event. Post-trau- matic stress is the psychological or behav- ioral reaction to a trauma. To be diagnosed with PTSD, the individual must have expe- rienced a life-threatening or very frighten- ing event or heard about this type of event happening to a close loved one. What may be “traumatic” to one person may not be perceived as traumatic to another, so two people who experienced the same event may have very different reactions. For example, one person may develop PTSD, while the other may not. A school shooting. Car accident. Violence. Assault. Traumatic events that children experience can leave a lasting impact and result in a range of mental and behavioral health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How to Spot and Address PTSD in Children RECOVERING FROM TRAUMA AMID COVID-19: It is important to note that trauma or post-traumatic stress is very different from bereavement or grief. This is why we need both trauma-focused and grief-focused in- terventions to better address the needs of children and adolescents in our communi- ty, especially in the context of COVID. How to Know Whether a Child Has PTSD Sadly, many children seeking treatment at the Trauma and Grief (TAG) Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans (CHNOLA) have experienced deaths of loved ones due to COVID-19, reflecting the