[Trauma and traumatic disorders in children and adolescents]

In recent years, the definitions of trauma and individual criteria of posttraumatic disorders as defined in ICD-10 and DSM-IV have been critically discussed. The category of acute stress disorder is questioned due to an over-emphasis on dissociative symptoms and a pathologizing of normal reactions after trauma. The criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, especially those with regard to childhood and adolescence, need revision. Scheeringa and co-workers have since defined PTSD-criteria that are more suitable and specific for posttraumatic reactions and disorders in toddlers and children. Moreover, the "Complex Trauma Taskforce" of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network proposes a diagnosis called Developmental Trauma Disorder to better capture the problems of children suffering from early and complex traumata.