A Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Sustained PTSD Symptoms Among Women Reporting Abuse.
BACKGROUND
Nationally and worldwide, 30% or more of women are likely to have experienced intimate partner violence. Maternal mental health symptoms predict child function. When mothers have sustained posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), their children at are risk for growth and developmental delays and poor behavioral outcomes that may adversely affect the course of their lives. While many who experience trauma will recover without intervention, a significant proportion will experience PTSD, with negative consequences for their personal lives and the lives of their families. Early identification of those at high risk for PTSD symptoms will support early interventions to prevent PTSD and its negative consequences.


METHODS
This paper describes the development of a tool that can predict PTSD symptoms at 8 months in mothers who are primarily of low socioeconomic status and primarily members of underrepresented groups. The tool consists of four key measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Using this tool to identify mothers at high risk for sustained PTSD and entering them into early intervention programs may protect mothers and their children from negative outcomes and promote their health and wellbeing.
1 College of Nursing, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Texas Woman's University , Houston, Texas.
Lene
L
Symes
1 College of Nursing, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Texas Woman's University , Houston, Texas.
John
J
Maddoux
1 College of Nursing, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Texas Woman's University , Houston, Texas.
Judith
J
McFarlane
2 Elite Research , LLC, Carrollton, Texas.
Jacquelyn
J
Pennings
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population