Citation

Modrowski CA, Miller LE, Howell KH, Graham-Bermann SA. Psychol. Trauma 2013; 5(3): 251-258.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0027167

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The expression of posttraumatic stress symptoms during group therapy and how this might differ from the expression of those symptoms at home was evaluated in a group of preschool children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The sample included 55 mother-child dyads. Reports of posttraumatic stress symptoms were collected from mothers and child therapists and compared in terms of the symptom subtypes that the child expressed at home and in therapy. The total number of posttraumatic stress symptoms that young children expressed at home and in group therapy did not differ. There was, however, a significant difference in mothers' and therapists' reports of physiological arousal symptoms, with mothers reporting more arousal symptoms than did the therapists. Additionally, higher levels of IPV exposure predicted higher levels of total posttraumatic stress symptoms. This study has important implications for researchers and clinicians, especially when considering the range of posttraumatic stress symptoms preschool children may present after exposure to IPV.