Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Young Children Three Years Post-trauma

Authors Richard Meiser-Stedman, Patrick Smith, William Yule, Edward Glucksman, Tim Dalgleish

Published by The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, November 2016

SUMMARY

Researchers from the University of East Anglia wanted to find out how prevalent PTSD is in children three years after a trauma, and how well parents recognise their child has been affected. They also examined whether early signs of stress shortly after a trauma could predict PTSD later on, and whether factors such as the severity of the trauma, a child's intelligence and the mental health of their parents can predict the intensity of future PTSD.

Researchers followed 114 children between the ages of two and 10 who had attended an emergency department in South London between May 2004 and November 2005 following a motor vehicle accident. Assessments were made two to four weeks after the trauma, six months after and three years after with 71 of the 114 taking part in all three assessments. For younger children, reports of PTSD symptoms came from parents. In other cases, reports were taken from both parents and children.