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Clinical implications of traumatic stress from birth to age five

Ann T Chu1, Alicia F Lieberman

  • 1Child Trauma Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA. ann.chu@ucsf.edu

Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
|March 3, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Young children (birth to five years) face high rates of trauma exposure. Early traumatic stress significantly impacts development, yet interventions and research remain limited.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Trauma Studies

Background:

  • Children aged birth to five years experience a disproportionately high amount of potentially traumatic events.
  • Early trauma exposure can significantly impede healthy child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the prevalence of traumatic exposure in young children (birth to five years).
  • To review indicators, diagnostic criteria, and contextual factors of early traumatic stress.
  • To explore the impact of trauma on child development and effective interventions.

Main Methods:

  • This study is a review of existing literature.
  • It selectively reviews research on early trauma, its effects, and interventions.
  • Focuses on parent-child relationship as a recovery vehicle.

Main Results:

  • Traumatic events are prevalent in children aged birth to five years.
  • Early trauma negatively impacts biological, emotional, social, and cognitive development.
  • Clinical interventions targeting the parent-child relationship show promise for trauma recovery.

Conclusions:

  • Despite documented negative impacts, research and policy for early trauma remain limited.
  • There is a need for increased research, clinical practice, and policy efforts.
  • Future directions include enhancing research and clinical practices for early victimization.

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