Risk Factors for Childhood Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Results from a 1-year follow-up study in children who survived an earthquake suggest ways to triage interventions.

Less is known about risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children than in adults. A unique opportunity to assess children's reactions to trauma occurred after a devastating earthquake in rural China that killed >69,000 and injured >370,00 people.

Because of an unreachable location, residents had received no interventions before assessments, which occurred 1 year later. These consisted of standardized interview measurements of PTSD symptoms and self-report depression symptom and personality scales, which 20,749 students (age range, 7–15 years; mean age, 12) completed at school and thus without caretaker input.

Of the participants, 19% had PTSD symptoms, and 31% had depression symptoms; 12% had both. Neuroticism and feeling…

Reviewing Author

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Risk Factors for Childhood Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Reviewing Author