General Facts About PTSD

• An estimated 70% of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives, and up to 20% of these people go on to develop PTSD.²¹
• About 30 percent of the men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD.¹⁶
• PTSD has no boundaries. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.¹⁹
• PTSD can occur at any age, including early childhood.¹⁵
• Recent evidence suggests genetic susceptibility, or that PTSD may run in families. ¹⁵
• PTSD is twice as common in women (10.4%), as it is in men (5%). This represents a small portion of those who have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives.¹⁰
• Higher prevalence of PTSD in women is NOT attributable to sex differences or history of previous exposure to trauma but may be due to overall life longevity.⁷