Posttraumatic stress in children following acute physical injury.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively assess the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children hospitalized following acute physical injury. The focus was identification of the incidence of PTSD, PTSD symptoms, and exploration of factors associated with development of PTSD symptoms and disorder.


METHODS
Forty children ages 8-17 were interviewed approximately 1 month following a serious injury and assessed for PTSD, pretrauma behavior problems, levels of peritraumatic fear, and posttraumatic thought suppression.


RESULTS
Twenty-two and a half percent of participants met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for PTSD; 47.5% met criteria for at least two of the three PTSD symptom clusters. Greater thought suppression was associated with increased symptoms of PTSD, as were the child's peritraumatic fear response and pretrauma internalizing behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that many children who have been hospitalized for physical trauma may be experiencing clinically significant PTSD symptomatology and may benefit from psychological as well as medical intervention.
Aaron
J
J
Children's Medical Center, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22903, USA. jda4e@virginia.edu
Zaglul
H
H
Emery
R E
RE
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*