Psychiatric Comorbidity in Childhood Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• NCJ Number: 165013
• Journal: Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 20 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1996) Pages: 953-961
• Author(s): R Famularo; T Fenton; R Kinscherff; M Augustyn
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Psychiatric disorders in children with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and child victims who did not develop this disorder were assessed in 117 severely maltreated children.

Abstract

A court had removed all these children from their homes due to severe abuse. They were examined using The Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, Revised Version (DICA-C-R), as well as a more general psychiatric interview. Results revealed that 41 children met strict criteria for PTSD. The PTSD diagnosis was significantly correlated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, other anxiety disorders, brief psychotic disorder or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified, the presence of suicidal ideation, and a trend toward mood disorders. The children with and without PTSD did not differ in age, race, and family income. Findings suggest that the presence of PTSD in children confers a substantial likelihood of other formal diagnoses and that more extensive evaluation and specialized, multimodal treatment should be considered in children with PTSD. Tables and 31 references (Author abstract modified)