{"title":"Psychopathological symptoms in school-aged children after a traumatic event.","authors":"K S Plümacher, J K Loy, S Bender, M Krischer","doi":"10.1186/s13034-025-00869-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Traumatic experiences in childhood can have far-reaching and serious consequences for the development of those affected. Little is known about the age- and sex-specific symptom patterns in children and adolescents following a traumatic event. These do not always manifest in symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder according to ICD 10.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In an outpatient cohort of 84 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years, we utilised the dimensional Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) to analyse symptoms occurring within twelve months of a traumatic event as defined in ICD 10. Regression models were applied to examine the effects of sex, age, and their interaction. CBCL (sub-)scales from caregivers served as the outcome variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The most severe symptoms were externalising symptoms found in boys aged six to below twelve years, while girls of the same age showed the fewest symptoms. No fully consistent picture regarding age- and sex-effects was found across the (sub-)scales, however, the most consistent finding for all scales was an interaction between age and sex, resulting in a convergence between boys and girls with age. Adolescent males and females were affected to a similar extent.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Knowledge of age- and sex-specific patterns in children and adolescents following a traumatic event is essential to recognise possibly trauma-related symptoms at an early stage, initiate adequate treatment. Considering that trauma can exacerbate or complicate externalising symptoms, and vice versa, it is crucial to integrate trauma-specific interventions into the treatment plan for those affected. Developing comprehensive, age- and sex-specific diagnostic criteria for trauma-related disorders might not only improve early detection and treatment but also ensure that interventions address both emotional and behavioural dimensions effectively. Future research should focus on refining these criteria and exploring the interplay between trauma and co-occurring conditions to enhance treatment outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":9934,"journal":{"name":"Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health","volume":"19 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11846328/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-025-00869-6","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Traumatic experiences in childhood can have far-reaching and serious consequences for the development of those affected. Little is known about the age- and sex-specific symptom patterns in children and adolescents following a traumatic event. These do not always manifest in symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder according to ICD 10.
Methods: In an outpatient cohort of 84 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years, we utilised the dimensional Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) to analyse symptoms occurring within twelve months of a traumatic event as defined in ICD 10. Regression models were applied to examine the effects of sex, age, and their interaction. CBCL (sub-)scales from caregivers served as the outcome variables.
Results: The most severe symptoms were externalising symptoms found in boys aged six to below twelve years, while girls of the same age showed the fewest symptoms. No fully consistent picture regarding age- and sex-effects was found across the (sub-)scales, however, the most consistent finding for all scales was an interaction between age and sex, resulting in a convergence between boys and girls with age. Adolescent males and females were affected to a similar extent.
Conclusion: Knowledge of age- and sex-specific patterns in children and adolescents following a traumatic event is essential to recognise possibly trauma-related symptoms at an early stage, initiate adequate treatment. Considering that trauma can exacerbate or complicate externalising symptoms, and vice versa, it is crucial to integrate trauma-specific interventions into the treatment plan for those affected. Developing comprehensive, age- and sex-specific diagnostic criteria for trauma-related disorders might not only improve early detection and treatment but also ensure that interventions address both emotional and behavioural dimensions effectively. Future research should focus on refining these criteria and exploring the interplay between trauma and co-occurring conditions to enhance treatment outcomes.
期刊介绍：
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, the official journal of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, is an open access, online journal that provides an international platform for rapid and comprehensive scientific communication on child and adolescent mental health across different cultural backgrounds. CAPMH serves as a scientifically rigorous and broadly open forum for both interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange of research information, involving psychiatrists, paediatricians, psychologists, neuroscientists, and allied disciplines. The journal focusses on improving the knowledge base for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of mental health conditions in children and adolescents, and aims to integrate basic science, clinical research and the practical implementation of research findings. In addition, aspects which are still underrepresented in the traditional journals such as neurobiology and neuropsychology of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence are considered.
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