Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Trajectories Among Children Exposed to Violence

Little research has examined the developmental course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in children. The current study aimed to identify developmental trajectories of PTSS in childhood and to examine predictors of symptom presentation in 1,178 children from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Ab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of traumatic stress 2015-02, Vol.28 (1), p.17-24
Main Authors: Miller-Graff, Laura E., Howell, Kathryn H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Age Factors
Child
Child abuse & neglect
Child Abuse - psychology
Child Protective Services
Child psychology
Exposure to Violence - psychology
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Models, Psychological
Physical Abuse - psychology
Post traumatic stress disorder
Prognosis
Resilience, Psychological
Risk Factors
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - classification
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - etiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Violence
Violence - psychology
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Summary:Little research has examined the developmental course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in children. The current study aimed to identify developmental trajectories of PTSS in childhood and to examine predictors of symptom presentation in 1,178 children from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) studies, a consortium of studies focusing on the causes and effects of child maltreatment. Most children had a history of documented reports with Child Protective Services (CPS) and all were identified as living in high‐risk environments. Using group‐based trajectory modeling, 3 unique developmental trajectories were identified: Resilient, Clinical‐Improving (PTSS in the clinical range at baseline then declining over time), and Borderline‐Stable (chronically subclinical PTSS). Children in the Clinical‐Improving group were more likely than children in the Resilient group to have reports of physical abuse (RRR = 1.76), emotional abuse (RRR = 2.55), neglect (RRR = 1.57), and exposure to violence at home and in the community (RRR = 1.04). Children in the Borderline‐Stable group were more likely than children in the Resilient group to have a CPS history of neglect (RRR = 2.44) and exposure to violence at home and in the community (RRR = 1.04). Many children living in high‐risk environments exhibit resilience to PTSS, but exposure to witnessed violence and neglect appear to put children at chronic risk for poor adjustment. These children may require more intensive, integrated clinical services that attend to multiple adverse experiences. Resumen Existe muy poca investigación que haya examinado el curso de desarrollo de los síntomas de estrés postraumático (SEPT) en niños. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar las trayectorias de desarrollo de SEPT en niños e identificar predictores de la presentación de los síntomas en 1.354 niños de los Estudios Longitudinales de Abuso y Negligencia Infantil (ELANI), un consorcio de estudios enfocados en las causas y efectos del maltrato infantil. La mayoría de los niños tenían una historia de reportes documentados con los Servicios de Protección Infantil (SPI) y todos fueron identificados como viviendo en ambientes de alto riesgo. Utilizando modelamiento de trayectoria basada en grupos, se identificaron 3 trayectorias únicas: Resiliente, Mejora‐Clínica (rango clínico de SEPT a nivel basal y declinando con el tiempo), y Estable‐Borderline (SEPT subclínico crónico). Los niños del grupo de Mejora
ISSN:0894-9867
1573-6598
DOI:10.1002/jts.21989