title: Latent classes of childhood trauma exposure predict the development of behavioral health outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To develop latent classes of exposure to traumatic experiences before the age of 13 years in an urban community sample and to use these latent classes to predict the development of negative behavioral outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1815 participants in an epidemiologically based, randomized field trial as children completed comprehensive psychiatric assessments as young adults. Reported experiences of nine traumatic experiences before age 13 years were used in a latent class analysis to create latent profiles of traumatic experiences. Latent classes were used to predict psychiatric outcomes at age ⩾13 years, criminal convictions, physical health problems and traumatic experiences reported in young adulthood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three latent classes of childhood traumatic experiences were supported by the data. One class (8% of sample), primarily female, was characterized by experiences of sexual assault and reported significantly higher rates of a range of psychiatric outcomes by young adulthood. Another class (8%), primarily male, was characterized by experiences of violence exposure and reported higher levels of antisocial personality disorder and post-traumatic stress. The final class (84%) reported low levels of childhood traumatic experiences. Parental psychopathology was related to membership in the sexual assault group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Classes of childhood traumatic experiences predict specific psychiatric and behavioral outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood. The long-term adverse effects of childhood traumas are primarily concentrated in victims of sexual and non-sexual violence. Gender emerged as a key covariate in the classes of trauma exposure and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Mental Health,Experimental and Pathophysiology Branch,Bethesda,MD,USA.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health,Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,Baltimore,MD,USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Eck
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health,Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,Baltimore,MD,USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Musci
authors.affiliation: Child Development Department,California State University,Chico,CA,USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health,Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,Baltimore,MD,USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Storr
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Michigan State University,East Lansing,MI,USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Breslau
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health,Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,Baltimore,MD,USA.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000069586:Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000066479:Criminal Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Childhood adverse experiences; latent class analysis; trauma; young adulthood