New Findings on Alternative Criteria for PTSD in Preschool Children
Open accessAbstract
Objective An alternative set of criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for preschool children was analyzed for validity.Method Sixty-two traumatized children and 63 healthy controls, aged 20 months through 6 years, were assessed. The traumatic experiences included motor vehicle collisions, accidental injuries, abuse, and witnessing violence. The number of symptoms required for clusters C and D and the utility of proposed symptoms were systematically analyzed.Results No cases met the DSM-IV algorithm for PTSD. Cluster B was endorsed 67.9% of the time. The proportion of cases meeting the cluster C threshold was 2% when three symptoms were required, 11% when two symptoms were required, and 39% when one symptom was required. The rate of cluster D was 45% when two symptoms were required and 73% when one symptom was required. Four novel symptoms did not substantially add to the diagnostic validity of the criteria. The optimal algorithm (one cluster B symptom, one cluster C symptom, and two cluster D symptoms) diagnosed PTSD at a rate of 26%. Measures of comorbid symptoms concurrently provided convergent validation to support this revised algorithm.Conclusion Revisions to the DSM-IV PTSD criteria continue to be supported so that highly symptomatic young children can be diagnosed.
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The experience of trauma, specifically, has been linked to conduct problems.
“The experience of trauma, specifically, has been linked to conduct problems.”
From Deviations from the expectable environment in early childhood and emerging psychopathology (2015) · cites this paper as Scheeringa et al, 2003
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Self-citation
- Authors
- SCHEERINGA, M. S., ZEANAH, C. H., MYERS, L., & PUTNAM, F. W.
- Affiliations
- Tulane University (US)
- Corresponding author
- SCHEERINGA, MICHAEL S.
- Venue
- Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-05
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 561-570
- ISSN
- 0890-8567 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2069904445
- Cited by
- 403
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 19.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- NIMH (grant K08 MH01706)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, preschool children, PTSD diagnostic criteria, DSM-IV, diagnostic validity, trauma exposure, traffic accidents, child abuse, witnessing violence, comorbid symptoms
- MeSH terms
- Algorithms, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Life Change Events, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Reproducibility of Results, Cluster Analysis, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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