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Post-traumatic stress disorder in pre-school aged children after a gas explosion

Hiroki Ohmi1, Sayoko Kojima, Yoshitomi Awai

  • 1Health and Disease Prevention Division, Department of Health and Welfare, Hokkaido Government, N3-W6, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8588, Japan. hiroki.oomi@pref.hokkaido.jp

European Journal of Pediatrics
|November 26, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Diagnostic criteria for pediatric post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) require adjustment. Alternative criteria and modified symptom rating scales show greater sensitivity in preschool children following trauma.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Trauma Psychology
  • Pediatric Mental Health

Background:

  • Assessing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in preschool children presents diagnostic challenges.
  • Previous studies highlight the need for age-appropriate diagnostic tools for pediatric trauma.
  • The impact of traumatic events, such as gas explosions, on young children's mental health requires careful evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the sensitivity of existing diagnostic criteria for PTSD in preschool children exposed to a gas explosion.
  • To compare the efficacy of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria versus alternative criteria for young children.
  • To assess the sensitivity of the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI) and a modified version in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal investigation of post-traumatic symptoms in preschool children (n=32) at four time points post-accident: immediately, 10 days, 6 months, and 1 year.
  • Sensitivity analysis of DSM-IV criteria and alternative criteria for infants and young children using 6-month symptom data.
  • Evaluation of the original CPTSD-RI and a newly proposed modified version for symptom rating.

Main Results:

  • No children met the standard DSM-IV criteria for PTSD.
  • Alternative criteria diagnosed 8 out of 32 children with PTSD.
  • The modified CPTSD-RI demonstrated higher statistical distinguishability between children with and without PTSD compared to the original index.

Conclusions:

  • The standard DSM-IV criteria and the original CPTSD-RI exhibit insufficient sensitivity for diagnosing PTSD in preschool-aged children.
  • Alternative DSM criteria and a modified CPTSD-RI are more effective for assessing PTSD symptoms in this vulnerable age group.
  • Findings underscore the need for refined diagnostic approaches for pediatric PTSD following significant traumatic events.
Abstract

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