Exploring Trauma Prevalence and Screening in Adolescents

A recent study in Pediatrics found that 15.5% of adolescents report trauma exposure and 7.5% have moderate-to-high traumatic stress—data that support routine trauma screening in primary care.

The researchers used brief, validated tools used in routine visits: the Pediatric Traumatic Stress Screening Tool and the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) as part of a Triple Screen alongside depression and anxiety instruments.

Female and Hispanic adolescents were more likely to report moderate-to-high traumatic stress in the cohort. Only about half of youth with high traumatic stress had equally high anxiety or depression scores, underscoring the need for trauma-focused assessment.

For frontline pediatric and primary-care teams, this means updating screening pathways and referral plans, clarifying which red-flag thresholds trigger C-SSRS evaluation, documenting referral workflows, and confirming access to trauma-informed behavioral-health services and school-based supports.