The risk factors for post traumatic stress disorder are:
In the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) two things need to be understood that is; there is a risk for experiencing trauma and there is a risk for post traumatic stress disorder. Not everyone becomes risk to be exposed to trauma. Particular situations or circumstances make it possible to experience the post trauma stress disorder such as people who work as soldier, fire-fighter are more prone to risks compared to others.
Individual risk factors:
People who are likely of being exposed to trauma also include such as male and less education, had problems in the childhood, family history of psychiatric disorder. Being a female is also a risk factor, lower level of social support and people suffering from family history of depression, anxiety and substance abuse.
Biological risk factors:
In the biological risk factors are caused due to the high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol. People with post traumatic stress disorder show an exaggerated cortisol response. Women tend to have high levels of cortisol in PTSD but not in men.
Sociocultural risk factors:
The people who belong to minority group in the society are more tend to experience or develop post traumatic stress disorder. The people like refugees returning to a negative and unsupportive social environment would increase vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder.