ABSTRACT
Youths who have been maltreated often experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and this special population has received increased attention from researchers. Pathways toward maladaptive effects of maltreatment and PTSD are remarkably similar and reflect specific biological diatheses and psychological vulnerabilities that produce wide-ranging self-regulation deficits. Developmental models of effects of maltreatment and of PTSD are thus increasingly intertwined and have begun to inform specialized assessment and treatment strategies for this population. This review covers key aspects of posttraumatic stress disorder in maltreated youth, including epidemiology, symptomatology, outcome, and risk factors as well as assessment and treatment strategies and challenges for these youths.
Subject(s)
Child Abuse/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/etiology , Adolescent , Child , Child Abuse/statistics & numerical data , Child Abuse/therapy , Child Abuse, Sexual/psychology , Child Abuse, Sexual/therapy , Child, Preschool , Humans , Risk Factors , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapyABSTRACT
The study of childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has grown in recent years, and several variables have been closely linked to the etiology of this condition. Prominent examples include dissociation, trauma-related cognitions, and depression, but no empirically based model regarding these variables has been presented. We examined 90 adolescents housed in a state-run facility for youths who experienced maltreatment, violence, and/or other traumas. Utilizing psychometrically strong dependent measures, we identified a structural equation model with depression as a key mediating variable between (1) dissociation and trauma-related cognitions and (2) PTSD symptomatology. In addition, African American status was found to weaken this relationship, whereas multiracial status was found to strengthen this relationship. These results are discussed within the context of contemporary integrative theories regarding the developmental psychopathology of PTSD in youths.
