@article{ref1,
title="Early life trauma exposure and stress sensitivity in young children",
journal="Journal of pediatric psychology",
year="2013",
author="Grasso, Damion J. and Ford, Julian D. and Briggs-Gowan, Margaret J.",
volume="38",
number="1",
pages="94-103",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: The current study replicates and extends work with adults that highlights the relationship between trauma exposure and distress in response to subsequent, nontraumatic life stressors. METHODS: The sample included 213 2-4-year-old children in which 64.3% had a history of potential trauma exposure. Children were categorized into 4 groups based on trauma history and current life stress. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis of variance, trauma-exposed children with current life stressors had elevated internalizing and externalizing problems compared with trauma-exposed children without current stress and nontrauma-exposed children with and without current stressors. The trauma-exposed groups with or without current stressors did not differ on posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. Accounting for number of traumatic events did not change these results. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that early life trauma exposure may sensitize young children and place them at risk for internalizing or externalizing problems when exposed to subsequent, nontraumatic life stressors.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0146-8693",
doi="10.1093/jpepsy/jss101",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jss101"
}