Factors associated with interpersonal retraumatization in children and adolescents: A prospective study

Trauma, especially interpersonal trauma experienced in youth, can have long-term effects. Identifying factors associated with recurrent interpersonal trauma may help understand risk of subsequent traumatization and inform treatment and prevention efforts.

In a large sample (n = 543) of youth (ages 8-17 years) in the Texas Childhood Trauma Research Network (TX-CTRN), participants who reported any lifetime history of interpersonal trauma within five categories (physical attacks, verbal threats, sexual assault, bullying, cyberbullying) on the clinician-rated Traumatic Events Screening Inventory-Child were included in analyses. Bivariate testing and logistic regression modeling were used to establish the relationships between baseline factors and recurrence of interpersonal trauma over the subsequent six months. Variables of interest included baseline psychiatric symptoms, risk for substance abuse, depressive symptom severity, perceived social support, and psychiatric treatment status.

A history of multiple types of interpersonal trauma was present in 62.6% of the sample at baseline, and 28.5% of participants experiencing trauma recurrence within six months. Baseline features associated with recurrence included a history of 1) sexual assault, cyberbullying, and/or serious verbal threat; 2) >1 type of interpersonal trauma; 3) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); 4) moderate (but not high) depressive symptom levels; 5) high substance abuse risk; and 6) current psychiatric treatment. Low perceived social support was not associated with trauma recurrence.

Specific types of interpersonal trauma, greater interpersonal trauma burden, ADHD, moderate depressive symptoms, high substance abuse risk, and current psychiatric treatment were associated with six-month trauma recurrence in youth aged 8-17 years.