A review of PTSD in Animals

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD is a condition well studied in human psychology. Since the mid 20th century, trauma studies have been carried out on animals coming from abusive or cruel backgrounds such as animals used in laboratory experiments or human exploitation, however the discussion of animals possibly exhibiting symptoms of PTSD is a fairly newer concept gaining recognition in the scientific spaces. This review explores PTSD in animals, focusing on its symptoms observed in various species, both captive and in the wild, exposed to various traumatic backgrounds. By examining the behavioral and physiological symptoms such as hypervigilance, avoidance, aggression, stereotypies and altered stress levels; this review will highlight the parallels between human and animal PTSD. We will also explore the symptoms of Complex PTSD, which involves long exposure to trauma from a young age, in the context of animals. This review will also touch on Transpecies psychology through which we can bridge the gap between humans and non-human animals. My review aims to deepen our understanding of trauma in animals and recovery, advocate for improvement in our treatment of animals in captivity and in the wild, and open pathways in the future for further trauma studies and discussion of these conditions in the context of animals not just as animal models for human psychology studies.