Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Statistics in the United States

About 6% of adults will face post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their lifetime. Women, adolescents, veterans, and marginalized groups often experience it more frequently and intensely. 

For example, women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD, and veterans, especially those from recent conflicts, report some of the highest rates. The LGBTQ+ community and people in racial minority groups also face unique trauma risks, often with limited access to care.

In this post, let’s look at what statistics have to say about PTSD in the U.S.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2020, 6% of U.S. adults were found to have experienced PTSD, with women facing a nearly double lifetime prevalence (8%) compared to men (4%).
• In 2020, 13 million Americans were living with PTSD.
• 5% of U.S. adolescents have PTSD, with a rate of 8% in girls versus 2.3% in boys.
• Among U.S. veterans, 7% have PTSD, with rates for female veterans (13%) more than twice that for male veterans (6%).
• In 2014, 13.3% of U.S. adolescents with primary psychiatric diagnoses had PTSD, especially those facing abuse or violence.
• Marginalized groups show higher PTSD rates—8.7% in Black Americans, 7% in Hispanic Americans, and 4% in Asian Americans.
• LGBTQ+ individuals face elevated PTSD rates, with up to 47.6% of LGB and 42% of transgender individuals affected.
• 49% of women and 48% of men with PTSD also have depression, and 44% have 3 or more mental health diagnoses.
• U.S. veterans with PTSD commit suicide at a rate of 50.7 per 100,000 and PTSD-diagnosed teens are 1.23 times more likely to consider suicide.

Prevalence of PTSD in American Adults

• According to the National Center for PTSD:
  • Approximately 6% of the U.S. adult population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. 
  • In the year 2020, almost 13 million Americans had PTSD.
  • Women in the U.S. have a lifetime prevalence rate of 8% for developing PTSD, making them twice as likely to experience the disorder compared to men, who have a 4% lifetime prevalence rate. 
• According to Mental Health America, California reported the highest number of positive PTSD cases among adults in 2023, totaling 3,303 cases.

PTSD Prevalence in American Adolescents 

• According to the National Comorbidity Survey, approximately 5% of U.S. adolescents have met the criteria for PTSD at some point in their lives. This rate is notably higher in girls (8%) compared to boys (2.3%), and the prevalence tends to increase with age. 
• According to the 2014 study by Eskander et al. titled “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Suicidal Behaviors in American Adolescents,” among 159,500 U.S. adolescents aged 12-18 with a primary psychiatric diagnosis, 13.3% (21,230) were diagnosed with PTSD. 

• According to Frank K. Tedeschi et al.’s 2017 study, “Pediatric PTSD: Clinical, Forensic, and Diagnostic Understanding,” prevalence estimates of PTSD in pediatric populations range from 0.5% to 9.2%. 
• Aaron et al.’s 1999 study “Posttraumatic Stress in Children Following Acute Physical Injury” found that approximately 23% of children who experienced acute physical trauma went on to develop PTSD. 
• In Pynoos and Nader’s 1988 study, “Children Who Witness the Sexual Assaults of Their Mothers,” it was found that 100% of children who witnessed the sexual assault of a parent or parental homicide developed PTSD.
• According to Dubner and Motta’s 1999 study on abused foster care children, 64% of foster children who had been sexually abused and 42% who had been physically abused met the full criteria for PTSD. 
• In the NCS-A study by McLaughlin et al., the types of trauma with the highest PTSD risk among U.S. adolescents aged 13-17 included rape (39.3%), kidnapping (37%), sexual assault (31.3%), and physical abuse by a caregiver (25.2%). 
• Karen Salmon’s study “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Children: The Influence of Developmental Factors,” indicates that pediatric PTSD rates can reach up to 90% in children who have experienced sexual assault. 

PTSD in American Veterans

• According to the National Center for PTSD:
  • 7% of U.S. veterans are estimated to experience PTSD at some point in their lifetime, slightly higher than the 6% prevalence among civilians. 
  • Female veterans have a lifetime PTSD prevalence of 13% compared to 6% in male veterans, likely due to higher exposure to military sexual trauma and combat stress.
  • In fiscal year 2021, among the 6 million veterans who received veteran care, approximately 10% of male veterans and 19% of female veterans were diagnosed with PTSD. 
  • U.S. veterans who served in recent conflicts such as Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom show lifetime PTSD rates as high as 29%. 
• According to Wisco et al.’s 2022 study “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in US Military Veterans: Results From the 2019–2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study”:
  • The lifetime prevalence of PTSD among U.S. veterans was found to be 9.4%, slightly higher than 2016 estimates, which ranged from 6.9% to 8.1%.
  • The prevalence of past-month PTSD symptoms in veterans was 5.0%.
  • Veterans who experienced direct potentially traumatic events (PTEs) had a significantly higher likelihood of developing PTSD, with an odds ratio of 1.36 for lifetime PTSD and 1.38 for past-month PTSD. In contrast, indirect PTEs did not increase PTSD risk.

PTSD Rates in the U.S. By Ethnicity

• According to Roberts et al.’s 2010 study, “Race/Ethnic Differences in Exposure to Traumatic Events, Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Treatment-Seeking for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the United States”:
  • PTSD prevalence is highest among Black Americans at 8.7%, followed by White Americans at 7.4% and Hispanic Americans at 7.0%, with Asian Americans having the lowest prevalence at 4.0%.
  • Among individuals exposed to trauma, Black Americans have a slightly elevated PTSD risk compared to White individuals, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.22, whereas Asian Americans have a lower PTSD risk with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.67.
  • Minority groups with PTSD are significantly less likely to seek treatment than White Americans. The adjusted odds ratios for seeking treatment range from 0.39 to 0.61, and less than half of individuals from minority backgrounds with PTSD pursue treatment, with rates between 32.7% and 42.0%.
• According to Mental Health America, between 2020 and 2024, there were a total of 5,438 reported PTSD cases within the American Indian/Alaska Native community:

PTSD in the LGBTQ+ Population in the U.S.

• Nicholas A. Livingston et al.’s 2020 study “Clinical Considerations and Guidance for the Treatment of PTSD in LGBTQ Populations” reveals that PTSD prevalence estimates are generally higher among LGBTQ+ individuals, with rates reported between 1.3% and 47.6% for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. For transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) populations, estimates range from 17.8% to 42%. 
• According to Flores et al.’s 2017 study, “Victimization Rates and Traits of Sexual and Gender Minorities in the United States,” LGBTQ+ individuals are nearly 4 times more likely than cisgender, heterosexual individuals to experience violent assault. 

Duration of PTSD in the U.S.

• According to the National Comorbidity Survey (conducted on U.S. adults):
  • The median time for PTSD symptoms to remit was 36 months for those receiving treatment compared to 64 months for those without treatment.
  • Approximately 33.3% of PTSD cases do not remit despite many years of treatment, indicating a chronic course for a substantial portion of U.S. adults with PTSD.
• In a prospective study of rape victims, Rothbaum et al. found that 50% of participants experienced spontaneous recovery within the first 35 days after the assault. However, for victims who continued to meet PTSD criteria 2 months after the trauma, recovery without treatment was unlikely.

• According to Galea and Resnick’s 2005 research on PTSD following U.S. disaster events, most survivors saw symptoms remit within 6 months post-event, suggesting that PTSD related to natural disasters may resolve more quickly than other types​.
• In a study on tertiary care patients with PTSD, Zlotnick et al. (1999) observed that only 18% of the participants achieved full remission over 5 years, with chronic PTSD being associated with factors such as alcohol dependence and childhood trauma. 

PTSD and Other Mental Health Conditions

• According to Kathleen et al.’s findings in “Comorbidity of Psychiatric Disorders and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,”:
  • Approximately 49% of women and 48% of men with PTSD also have a lifetime diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the U.S. 
  • 44% of PTSD patients have 3 or more additional diagnoses.
• According to the National Comorbidity Survey:
  • Individuals with PTSD were found to have more than 2 times the prevalence of substance use disorders compared to those without PTSD.
  • Men with PTSD had an odds ratio of 2.06 for alcohol abuse or dependence compared to men without PTSD. Women with PTSD had an odds ratio of 2.48 for alcohol abuse or dependence compared to women without PTSD.
  • Men with PTSD were 2.97 times more likely to engage in drug abuse or dependence compared to men without PTSD. Women with PTSD were over 4.46 times more likely to experience drug abuse or dependence than those without PTSD.
• According to the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, among individuals with PTSD, 59% also had an anxiety disorder. 

PTSD and Suicide

• According to John F. McCarthy et al.’s 2015 study “Predictive Modeling and Concentration of the Risk of Suicide”, U.S. military personnel diagnosed with PTSD have a suicide rate of approximately 50.7 per 100,000 population.

• In their study “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Community: An Epidemiological Study,” Davidson et al. found that individuals with PTSD are approximately 15 times more likely to attempt suicide than those without the disorder.
• William Hudenko, writing for the National Center of PTSD, states that according to the most recent data from fiscal year 2009, the suicide rate among male veterans using VA services was 38.3 per 100,000, significantly higher than the rate for female veterans in the same group, which was 12.8 per 100,000.
• According to Eskander et al.’s 2014 study, “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Suicidal Behaviors in American Adolescents”, 8.7% of PTSD-diagnosed adolescents exhibited suicidal behaviors, with the group having 1.23 times the odds of suicidal behaviors compared to those without PTSD. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does PTSD Prevalence Vary by Ethnicity?

According to Roberts et al.’s 2010 study “Prevalence and Axis I Comorbidity of Full and Partial Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the United States: Results from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions,” PTSD rates are 8.7% in Black Americans, 7% in Hispanics, and 4% in Asians.

Is PTSD Linked to Higher Substance Use Rates in the U.S.?

Yes, PTSD is strongly linked to substance use, with 46.4% of individuals with PTSD also having substance misuse issues, according to Roberts et al.’s 2010 study.

In another study 2014 study by Glasner-Edwards et al., it was found that PTSD patients were over 5 times more likely to report methamphetamine use within 30 days of a follow-up than those without the disorder.

Are ADHD Symptoms Common Among Individuals With PTSD?

Yes, PTSD and ADHD frequently co-occur. Adler et al.’s 2004 study “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adult Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Is ADHD a Vulnerability Factor?” found that 36% of veterans with PTSD also showed ADHD symptoms. 

Similarly, El Ayoubi et al’s 2020 study revealed that 84% of ADHD patients also had PTSD compared to 40% of non-ADHD patients who also had PTSD.Learn about ADHD in our post called “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Statistics in the United States”.