Age of traumatisation as a predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression in young women.
BACKGROUND
Findings in developmental psychopathology suggest that traumatisation in childhood may increase the risk of both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder, whereas traumatisation in adolescence is more likely to lead to elevated PTSD risk.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the impact of traumatisation in childhood or adolescence in a community sample.


METHODS
A representative sample of 1966 young women from Dresden aged 18-45 years were interviewed for occurrence of traumatic events and the onset of PTSD and major depression. The sample was subdivided into a childhood trauma group (trauma up to age 12 years) and an adolescent trauma group (trauma from age 13 years).


RESULTS
A quarter of all participants reported traumatic events meeting the DSM AI criterion. In the childhood group conditional risks for PTSD and major depressive disorder were 17.0% and 23.3%, respectively, compared with risks of 13.3% and 6.5%, respectively, in the adolescent group. In 29% of those with PTSD, major depression was also present.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk of developing major depressive disorder after traumatisation in childhood is approximately equal to the risk of developing PTSD. After age 13 years, the risk of PTSD is greater than the risk of major depression after traumatisation.
Maercker
Andreas
A
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland. a.maercker@psychologie.unizh.ch
Michael
Tanja
T
Fehm
Lydia
L
Becker
Eni S
ES
Margraf
Jürgen
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D011593:Psychology, Social; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology