Causes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is linked to experiences of trauma. Some factors might make it more likely for you to get PTSD after trauma.

I was diagnosed by my GP with PTSD a few weeks after the death of my father who died very suddenly, following a family outing to the local pub for lunch. He collapsed in front of us and we had to administer CPR

What causes PTSD?

The situations we find traumatic can vary from person to person. And PTSD can come from any kind of trauma. Our information on trauma goes through some of the different types.

For example:

• Being in a car crash
• Being raped or sexually assaulted
• Being abused, harassed or bullied
• Experiencing discrimination and hate. Including racism, sexism and LGBTQIA+ hate
• Being kidnapped or held hostage
• Seeing, experiencing or taking part in violence
• Surviving a disaster – like flooding, an earthquake or pandemic
• Traumatic childbirth – either giving birth or watching someone give birth
• Losing someone close to you in a very upsetting way – perhaps to sudden death, suicide or a difficult illness
• Being sectioned or getting treatment in a mental health ward
• Surgery and medical procedures
• Seeing other people hurt, killed or in distress. This could be in the course of your job. This is sometimes called secondary trauma.

Recognising trauma

You might not be sure if what you've experienced 'counts' as trauma. You might not feel it was 'bad enough'. You might blame yourself for what happened.

Or you might have had bad reactions from others when you tried to talk about your trauma.

This can make it feel harder to ask for help.

But there's no official list of what experiences can cause trauma. It's personal to you.

If you're struggling, you deserve support.

Our pages on trauma have information about how trauma might feel. This might help give you ways to talk about what happened to you.

Are some people more at risk of PTSD?

Some things might make you more likely to get PTSD. Or may make the problems you experience more severe, including:

• Experiencing a lot of trauma – or trauma over a long period of time
• Getting physically hurt or feeling pain
• Experiencing trauma where you thought you might die
• Having little or no support from friends, family or professionals
• Dealing with extra stress at the same time – like money worries, racism, homelessness or being in prison
• Having other mental health problems

Traumatic events can happen to anyone. But some people might be more likely to experience them. This includes:

• People in jobs that involve violence, harm, or death – like the military, emergency services, or social work
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• People with physical health problems
• People experiencing poverty or money problems

Racial trauma

The impact racism can have on your mind and body is sometimes called racial trauma. There's no universal definition of racial trauma. But professionals may use it to describe the effects of racism on how we think, feel and behave.

Some researchers say that racial trauma should be included as part of a PTSD diagnosis. Others say that it should be separate from PTSD, to reflect the specific traumatic experiences and effects of racism. However you choose to define your experiences, it's always OK to ask for help with your mental health. 

Find out more about racial trauma on our page on racism and mental health.