Citation

Kolko DJ, Hurlburt MS, Zhang J, Barth RP, Leslie LK, Burns BJ. Child Maltreat. 2010; 15(1): 48-63.

Affiliation

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077559509337892

PMID

19564628

Abstract

This study examines the prevalence and correlates of heightened posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in a nationally representative sample of 1,848 children and adolescents (ages 8-14) who were referred to child welfare for investigation of abuse or neglect based on the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. The severity of current PTS symptoms was assessed using the PTS subscale of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, a standardized child-report scale evaluating common symptoms associated with trauma. The overall prevalence of clinically significant PTS symptoms was 11.7% (overall mean T score = 49.5). The prevalence was higher for cases that were placed in out-of-home care (19.2%) than those maintained at home (10.7%). Multivariate hierarchical regression identified four contributors to heightened PTS symptoms: younger child age, abuse by a nonbiological parent, violence in the home, and child depression. The authors discuss the modest but still lower than expected prevalence of self-reported, clinically significant PTS symptoms and the variables associated with greater risk for heightened PTS symptoms found among cases referred to child welfare services.

Language: en