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Heart rate as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder in children

Richard A Bryant1, Karen Salmon, Emma Sinclair

  • 1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia. r.bryant@unsw.edu.au

General Hospital Psychiatry
|December 27, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children with higher resting heart rates after trauma are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This finding suggests early physiological responses may predict PTSD development in pediatric injury survivors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric psychology
  • Trauma research
  • Cardiovascular physiology

Background:

  • Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant concern in children following traumatic injury.
  • Understanding early predictors of PTSD is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between resting heart rate (HR) in children immediately after injury and the subsequent development of PTSD.
  • To identify potential early physiological markers for PTSD risk in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 76 children (aged 7-12) hospitalized for traumatic injury had their resting HR measured.
  • PTSD symptoms were assessed in 62 of these children 6 months post-injury.
  • Statistical analyses controlled for age, sex, and injury severity.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-seven percent of children were diagnosed with full or subsyndromal PTSD.
  • Children who developed PTSD exhibited higher resting HRs post-trauma compared to those without PTSD.
  • Elevated HR after trauma significantly predicted PTSD development (adjusted OR=5.89).

Conclusions:

  • Higher resting heart rate following traumatic injury is a significant predictor of subsequent PTSD in children.
  • These results support the role of fear conditioning and early physiological arousal in the development of pediatric PTSD.
Abstract

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