Citation

Grasso DJ, Ford JD, Briggs-Gowan MJ. J. Pediatr. Psychol. 2013; 38(1): 94-103.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/jpepsy/jss101

PMID

23008502

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The current study replicates and extends work with adults that highlights the relationship between trauma exposure and distress in response to subsequent, nontraumatic life stressors. METHODS: The sample included 213 2-4-year-old children in which 64.3% had a history of potential trauma exposure. Children were categorized into 4 groups based on trauma history and current life stress. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis of variance, trauma-exposed children with current life stressors had elevated internalizing and externalizing problems compared with trauma-exposed children without current stress and nontrauma-exposed children with and without current stressors. The trauma-exposed groups with or without current stressors did not differ on posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. Accounting for number of traumatic events did not change these results. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that early life trauma exposure may sensitize young children and place them at risk for internalizing or externalizing problems when exposed to subsequent, nontraumatic life stressors.

Language: en