Acute stress disorder symptoms in gunshot-injured youth.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of acute stress disorder symptoms (ASDS) and other psychiatric comorbidities in youth with recent gunshot injuries.


METHODS
Children (n=20) admitted to an urban hospital ER for gunshot injuries over a 4-year period were evaluated for ASDS, co-morbid DSM-III-R diagnoses, legal and gang involvement, and psychiatric history; medically hospitalized children (n=36) similar in age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status served as a control group.


RESULTS
Gunshot-injured youth reported a 75% rate of ASDS compared to a 14% rate in medically ill youth (OR 18.6; chi2 = p < .0001). Parent ratings of ASDS closely corresponded with youth ratings. Youth rated reexperiencing the event as the most frequent distressing symptom. Gunshot injury was associated with legal problems, gang involvement, marijuana/alcohol dependence, conduct disorder, social phobia, and agoraphobia compared to youth with medical illness.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared to youth with medical illness, gunshot-injured youth were 18.6 times (p = .0001) more likely to show symptoms of ASDS. Further research, developmentally appropriate assessment, prevention, and treatment are needed in this area.
Hamrin
Vanya
V
Yale University, School of Nursing, New Haven, CT, USA. Vanya.Hamrin@Yale.edu
Jonker
Barbara
B
Scahill
Lawrence
L
D000293:Adolescent; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology*