Which of the following statements is an accurate statistic about sufferers of acute or posttraumatic stress disorder in North America?

Which of the following statements is an accurate statistic about sufferers of acute or posttraumatic stress disorder in North America?

• A. 20 percent attempt suicide
• B. 70 percent seek treatment
• C. 10 percent have one of the disorders in a given year
• D. 30 percent suffer one during their lifetimes

Answer: (A)

Sufferers of acute or posttraumatic stress disorder have a notably higher risk of attempting suicide than the general population, and about one in five individuals with PTSD will attempt suicide at some point. This elevated risk is consistently seen across many groups, including veterans, making the figure around 20% a matching statistic for North America. The other given options overestimate or misstate typical prevalence: annual PTSD rates are generally a few percent, not as high as 10%; lifetime PTSD prevalence in the population is around 6–7%, not 30%; and while many people with PTSD do seek help, access and treatment rates vary and are not reliably as high as 70% across populations. So the best-fit statistic is that roughly 20% of people with PTSD have attempted suicide.

Sufferers of acute or posttraumatic stress disorder have a notably higher risk of attempting suicide than the general population, and about one in five individuals with PTSD will attempt suicide at some point. This elevated risk is consistently seen across many groups, including veterans, making the figure around 20% a matching statistic for North America. The other given options overestimate or misstate typical prevalence: annual PTSD rates are generally a few percent, not as high as 10%; lifetime PTSD prevalence in the population is around 6–7%, not 30%; and while many people with PTSD do seek help, access and treatment rates vary and are not reliably as high as 70% across populations. So the best-fit statistic is that roughly 20% of people with PTSD have attempted suicide.