Post‐traumatic symptoms in abused children

Abstract

A variety of symptoms have been described as sequelae of physical and sexual abuse in childhood. This review suggests that some of these symptoms can be understood as developmentally mediated manifestations of posttraumatic disorders. Like traumatized combat or concentration camp survivors, severely abused children develop anxiety, compulsive repetitions, sleep disturbances and depression, ego constriction, and disturbed expressions of anger. The example of incest trauma illustrates how developmental transformations of childhood post‐traumatic symptoms can produce the varying patterns of presenting psychopathology seen in adult survivors.

Practitioner Review: The Assessment and Treatment of Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents

“…Adolescent survivors often report high levels of depression, some becoming clinically depressed, having suicidal thoughts, and taking overdoses in the year after a disaster. Others have noted that adolescents exposed to repeated trauma are also likely to exhibit dissociative features, selfinjurious behaviors, aggression, and substance abuse (Goodwin, 1988 ;Terr, 1991).…”

The Psychological Impact of War and the Refugee Situation on South Sudanese Children in Refugee Camps in Northern Uganda: An Exploratory Study

“…Although consequences of trauma are usually discussed in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is not the only possible psychological consequence of traumatic events for children. A whole spectrum of concurrent psychological symptoms has been mentioned : depression and anxiety, fear of recurrence, guilt, worry, and above all grief (Eth & Pynoos, 1985 ;Goodwin, 1988 ;Herman, 1992 ;Pynoos & Nader, 1987 ;Richman, 1993). Few studies are being conducted on refugee children living in developing countries.…”

Prevalence of child sexual abuse among adolescents in Geneva: results of a cross sectional survey

“…The potentially traumatic impact of child sexual abuse is well documented,1 2 3 4 notably as a contributory factor in poor school performance, substance abuse, delinquency, prostitution, sexual dysfunction, mental illness, suicide, and transmission of abusive behaviour to subsequent generations 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Over the past two decades epidemiological studies have yielded prevalence estimates of child sexual abuse ranging between 6% and 62% for women and 3% and 31% for men 13 14.…”