People of all ages can have post-traumatic stress disorder. However, some factors may make you more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic event, such as:

• Experiencing intense or long-lasting trauma

• Having experienced other trauma earlier in life, including childhood abuse or neglect

• Having a job that increases your risk of being exposed to traumatic events, such as military personnel and first responders

• Having other mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression

• Lacking a good support system of family and friends

• Having biological (blood) relatives with mental health problems, including PTSD or depression 

Kinds of traumatic events

The most common events leading to the development of PTSD include:

• Combat exposure

• Childhood neglect and physical abuse

• Sexual assault

• Physical attack

• Being threatened with a weapon

Many other traumatic events also can lead to PTSD, such as fire, natural disaster, mugging, robbery, car accident, plane crash, torture, kidnapping, life-threatening medical diagnosis, terrorist attack, and other extreme or life-threatening events.