What does Secondary Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) refer to?

Secondary Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs when someone has an indirect exposure to a traumatic event. Although secondary PTSD is different than PTSD, a person who experiences an indirect exposure can still exhibit the same symptoms as someone who has direct exposure. 

Secondary PTSD can occur when someone hears about the first-hand traumatic experiences of another person, often a person who is close to them (but not always).  

A person with Secondary PTSD can experience many of the same symptoms as someone with PTSD.

Some of these symptoms include:

• Avoidance of anything related to the traumatic experience (people, places, sounds)


• Nightmares surrounding the events of the trauma


• Mood swings


• Increased or decreased sleep


• Anxiety or panic attacks

Interestingly, someone who experiences Secondary PTSD will experience symptoms related to the first-hand traumatic experience of someone else, and not in relation to their own fears/ experiences.

In short, secondary PTSD is stress experienced by family members of those with PTSD. This answer makes the most sense given the definition of Secondary PTSD. A family member of someone with PTSD would likely hear first-hand accounts of a traumatic experience, which could make them susceptible to any of the symptoms associated with PTSD.