Etiologic factors in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents

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Abstract

This article presents an overview of the literature on potential etiological factors in the development of PTSD in children. An etiological model for PTSD is offered which generates hypotheses for identifying links between exposure to traumatic events and consequent symptoms, as well as testing relationships between exposure variables and other possible mediating factors. Three possible kinds of interaction between etiologic and mediating variables, leading to different levels of symptoms, are presented. Findings from 25 recent studies examining etiologic factors are considered to form an empirical basis for current knowledge about PTSD in children. Severity of trauma exposure and parental trauma-related distress have consistently produced positive correlations with PTSD symptoms. Length of time since trauma exposure is consistently negatively correlated with PTSD severity. Findings regarding relationships between PTSD risk, age and gender are inconsistent at this time. Other gaps in our current knowledge and understanding are identified, and implications for future clinical and research efforts are discussed.

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