title: Symptoms of Dissociation in a High-Risk Sample of Young Children Exposed to Interpersonal Trauma: Prevalence, Correlates, and Contributors.
abstract: Children who have experienced interpersonal trauma are at an increased risk of developing dissociation; however, little is known about the prevalence or correlates of dissociation in young children. The current study examined symptoms of dissociation in 140 children (mean age = 51.17 months, range = 36-72 months, SD = 10.31 months; 50.0% male; 45.7% Hispanic) who experienced trauma (e.g., witnessing domestic violence, experiencing abuse). Child dissociation and exposure to traumatic events were assessed using a clinician-administered interview with the biological mother (mean age = 32.02 years, SD = 6.13; 49.3% Hispanic; 25.5% married or cohabitating). Mothers completed measures of maternal dissociation, depression/anxiety, and child behavior problems. At least subclinical dissociation was present for 24.3% of children. Robust regression with least trimmed squares estimation showed that greater maternal dissociation was related to greater child dissociation, adjusting for child internalizing symptoms, number of traumas, and maternal depression/anxiety, B = 0.09, χ(2) = 10.47, p < .001, R(2) Δ = .04. Children who experienced direct victimization did not exhibit a significantly higher level of dissociation compared to children who experienced other traumas, F(1, 138) = 3.76, p = .054, η(2) = .03. These findings highlight the need to assess dissociation in traumatized young children.
authors.affiliation: Child Trauma Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hagan
authors.affiliation: Child Trauma Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Annmarie C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hulette
authors.affiliation: Child Trauma Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Alicia F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Lieberman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000069581:Exposure to Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology