Victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder among homeless adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine street victimization and posttraumatic stress symptoms among urban homeless adolescents and to test whether emotional numbing and avoidance represent distinct posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters.


METHODS
Structured, private interviews were conducted with homeless adolescents (N = 374) in the Seattle metropolitan area (95% response rate) from 1995 to 1998.


RESULTS
Eighty-three percent of street youths were physically and/or sexually victimized after leaving home. Approximately 18% of these youths met research criteria for PTSD. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis suggest that disaggregating symptoms of avoidance from symptoms of emotional numbing provides a better fit of the data than the current DSM-IV model in which these symptoms are combined in one factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Sexual and physical victimization are serious threats for homeless adolescents, and those who are victimized are at risk for PTSD. Results challenge the belief that symptoms of avoidance and numbing represent one unified cluster in this population.
Stewart
Angela J
AJ
University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. stangela@u.washington.edu
Steiman
Mandy
M
Cauce
Ana Mari
AM
Cochran
Bryan N
BN
Whitbeck
Les B
LB
Hoyt
Dan R
DR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology