Posttraumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents referred for child welfare investigation. A national sample of in-home and out-of-home care.
This study examines the prevalence and correlates of heightened posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in a nationally representative sample of 1,848 children and adolescents (ages 8-14) who were referred to child welfare for investigation of abuse or neglect based on the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. The severity of current PTS symptoms was assessed using the PTS subscale of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, a standardized child-report scale evaluating common symptoms associated with trauma. The overall prevalence of clinically significant PTS symptoms was 11.7% (overall mean T score = 49.5). The prevalence was higher for cases that were placed in out-of-home care (19.2%) than those maintained at home (10.7%). Multivariate hierarchical regression identified four contributors to heightened PTS symptoms: younger child age, abuse by a nonbiological parent, violence in the home, and child depression. The authors discuss the modest but still lower than expected prevalence of self-reported, clinically significant PTS symptoms and the variables associated with greater risk for heightened PTS symptoms found among cases referred to child welfare services.
Kolko
David J
DJ
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. kolkodj@upmc.edu
Hurlburt
Michael S
MS
Zhang
Jinjin
J
Barth
Richard P
RP
Leslie
Laurel K
LK
Burns
Barbara J
BJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002674:Child, Institutionalized / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology