Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery in Children Through Novel Biomarkers and Enhanced Localization
Published on: September 20, 2024
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children with severe epilepsy
Anne Vagner Jakobsen1, Ask Elklit2
1Department of Neuropediatrics, The Danish Epilepsy Center, Filadelfia, Dianalund, Denmark; Danish National Center of Psychotraumatology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark.
Insights
Children with severe epilepsy show high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, increasing with age. This highlights the need for trauma-informed care in managing childhood epilepsy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Child Psychiatry
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Severe epilepsy in children presents complex challenges, often co-occurring with other health and psychological issues.
- Understanding the impact of trauma is crucial for comprehensive care in pediatric epilepsy management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children with severe epilepsy.
- To investigate associations between trauma symptoms and factors like age, comorbidities, epilepsy characteristics, parental resources, and psychopathology.
Main Methods:
- Fifty children with severe epilepsy, aged 0-18 years, were evaluated using age-appropriate, standardized PTSD assessment tools.
- Assessments included the Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment (DIPA), Darryl test, and ITQ questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Twenty-two percent of children met PTSD criteria, with symptom prevalence rising with age (6% in 0-5 yrs, 28% in 6-12 yrs, 40% in 13-18 yrs).
- High rates of comorbid psychiatric symptoms (81%) and behavioral difficulties were observed.
- Forty percent of children with trauma symptoms had a parent with concurrent psychopathology.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to use standardized tests to assess trauma symptoms in children with severe epilepsy.
- High trauma symptom prevalence underscores the need for further research and trauma-informed interventions in this population.
- Integrating a trauma perspective may clarify complex variables affecting quality of life and inform better preventative treatments.
Objectives:
To assess symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children with severe epilepsy and the associations of trauma symptoms across age, comorbid symptoms, epilepsy-specific factors, parental resources, and psychopathology.
Methods:
Fifty children with severe epilepsy across three different age groups (0-5 yrs., 6-12 yrs., 13-18 yrs.) were assessed with developmental-sensitive and standardized PTSD assessment tools when hospitalized at the tertiary epilepsy center Filadelfia, Denmark. The Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment (DIPA), the Darryl test, and the ITQ questionnaire were used to assess the three age groups, respectively.
Results:
Twenty-two percent of the overall sample met the criteria for PTSD, with a prevalence of symptoms increasing with age (6%, 28%, and 40%). Comorbid psychiatric symptoms in preschoolers were present in 81% of the children witnessing a high level of distress in this group. Behavioral difficulties were elevated across all three age groups, and 40% of the children with trauma symptoms had a parent with concurrent psychopathology.
Conclusion:
To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to assess trauma symptoms with standardized tests in children with more complicated epilepsies. Trauma symptoms in the group are high; however, there is a need for larger scale studies and research into trauma symptoms in children with more severe epilepsy than those assessable with the included assessment tools. The trauma perspective in severe childhood epilepsy might further clarify the complex associations of biological and contextual variables that affect the children's life quality and enable better preventative treatment options for this group.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
01:24Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
01:13Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....