Sociodemographic risk, developmental competence, and PTSD symptoms in young children exposed to interpersonal trauma

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Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Emily Blood, Byron Egeland

    Journal of Traumatic Stress
    |February 4, 2014
    PubMed

    Insights

    Young children exposed to interpersonal trauma, like maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV), face higher risks for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Early childhood developmental competence is crucial for mitigating these negative effects.

    Area of Science:

    • Child Psychology
    • Trauma Studies
    • Developmental Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Young children are highly vulnerable to interpersonal trauma, including maltreatment and witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV).
    • Factors influencing vulnerability to traumatic stress responses and negative outcomes in early childhood are not well understood.
    • Interpersonal trauma exposure can have lasting negative sequelae on child development and mental health.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To examine the associations among interpersonal trauma exposure, sociodemographic risk, developmental competence, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in young children.
    • To investigate the mediating roles of developmental competence and trauma exposure in the relationship between sociodemographic risk and PTSD symptoms.
    • To understand the additive and cascading effects of early life trauma on child development and mental health.

    Main Methods:

    • Longitudinal study of 200 children from birth to first grade.
    • Data collection via standardized observations, record reviews, and maternal and teacher interviews.
    • Assessment of interpersonal trauma exposure, sociodemographic risk, developmental competence, and PTSD symptoms.

    Main Results:

    • Greater trauma exposure, higher sociodemographic risk, and lower developmental competence predicted more severe PTSD symptoms.
    • Developmental competence partially mediated the link between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms.
    • Trauma exposure fully mediated the association between sociodemographic risk and PTSD symptoms, indicating additive effects of trauma and risk factors.

    Conclusions:

    • Exposure to maltreatment and IPV has additive effects on posttraumatic stress risk in early life.
    • Sociodemographic adversity may increase mental health risks through heightened trauma exposure in disadvantaged populations.
    • Early life trauma exposure can negatively impact developmental competence and mental health, creating a cascade of adverse outcomes.

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