Trauma exposure among children with oppositional defiant disorder and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.
Consecutive admissions to an outpatient child psychiatry clinic diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or adjustment disorder were assessed for trauma exposure by a structured clinical interview and parent report. Controlling for age, gender, severity of internalizing behavior problems, social competence, family psychopathology, and parent-child relationship quality (assessed by parent report), an ODD diagnosis, with or without comorbid ADHD, was associated with increased likelihood of prior victimization (but not nonvictimization) trauma. ADHD alone was not associated with an increased likelihood of a history of trauma exposure. Traumatic victimization contributed uniquely to the prediction of ODD but not ADHD diagnoses. Children in psychiatric treatment who are diagnosed with ODD, but not those diagnosed solely with ADHD, may particularly require evaluation and care for posttraumatic sequelae.
Ford
Julian D
JD
U Connecticut.
Racusin
Robert
R
Daviss
William B
WB
Ellis
Cynthia G
CG
Thomas
Julie
J
Rogers
Karen
K
Reiser
Jessica
J
Schiffman
Jill
J
Sengupta
Anjana
A
D000293:Adolescent; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*