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Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children and Adolescents Referred for Child Welfare Investigation: A National Sample of In-Home and Out-of-Home Care

¹ University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
² Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego
³ Child and Adolescent Services Research Center
⁴ University of Maryland School of Social Work
⁵ Tufts Medical Center
⁶ Duke University School of Medicine

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kolkodj{at}upmc.edu.

	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.

First published on June 29, 2009
Child Maltreatment 2009, doi:10.1177/1077559509337892


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