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Phila. Forum Highlights Growing Incidence of PTSD in City's Children

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Post-traumatic stress disorder, "PTSD," is a malady commonly associated with war veterans.

But children living in Philadelphia's most violent neighborhoods are showing signs of it, too.

Today, the US attorney in Philadelphia held a forum on the traumatic impact of violence.

Hundreds of professionals in the criminal justice, education, and social services fields attended the gathering, titled "Essentials of Trauma-Informed Care."

Among the speakers was Dr. Sandra Bloom, co-director of the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice (at right in photo below), part of the school of public health at Drexel University.

 

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(Dr. Sandra Bloom, right, chats with an attendee to the conference. Photo by John McDevitt)

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Bloom talked about PTSD in children.

"We have lots of children in Philadelphia who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder because they have experienced trauma and witnessed other people being killed.  That's one of the definitions of trauma.  It's a major public health problem," she said.

Bloom says the aim of the forum was to give those in attendance a better understanding of trauma, adversity, and stress, and how it affects the brains and bodies of those they work with.

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