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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in School-age Children: A Nationwide Prospective Birth Cohort Study

Mogens Nygaard Christoffersen1, Anne A E Thorup2

  • 1VIVE, The Danish Center for Social Science Research, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma
|June 28, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Childhood trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individual vulnerabilities like autism and ADHD significantly increase PTSD risk in children, highlighting the need for better screening and management.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Traumatic childhood events are significant risk factors for psychiatric illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • The traumatic stress model posits that cumulative environmental stressors interact with individual vulnerabilities to influence PTSD development.
  • Understanding these factors is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies in child mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate risk factors for first-time post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses in a large cohort of Danish children.
  • To examine the predictive role of family, community, and individual vulnerabilities on PTSD development in school-aged children.
  • To evaluate the consistency of findings with the established traumatic stress model.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective panel data from the entire Danish population of children born 1984-1994, followed from age 7 to 18 (N=679,000).
  • Analysis of risk factors for first-time PTSD diagnoses using a discrete time log-odd model.
  • Examination of lifetime PTSD prevalence (2.3%) and the impact of various risk indicators.

Main Results:

  • Traumatic stress indicators (family, community violence, disintegration) and individual vulnerabilities predicted PTSD diagnoses.
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism (OR 7.1) and ADHD (OR 10.7), were strong predictors of PTSD.
  • Parental substance abuse showed a lower-than-expected association with PTSD, suggesting potential underestimation in this group.

Conclusions:

  • The study largely supports the traumatic stress model, emphasizing the additive nature of stressors and individual vulnerabilities.
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders significantly elevate the risk for developing PTSD in children.
  • Administrative PTSD diagnoses may underestimate true prevalence, underscoring the need for enhanced screening and management efforts.

Keywords:
Childhood traumaCommunity violenceIndividual vulnerabilitiesLife event history

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