Incidence and correlates of posttrauma symptoms in children from backgrounds of domestic violence

Abstract

In recent years, evidence has emerged of the presence of posttrauma symptoms in children from backgrounds of domestic violence. The present study examined the incidence and correlates of posttrauma symptoms in 56 children of mothers who had been residents in women's shelters in Adelaide, South Australia. The most frequently endorsed symptoms among this sample of children were being troubled by distressing thoughts, conscious avoidance, hypervigilance, and sleep difficulties. Twenty percent of children met the criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children meeting full PTSD criteria scored significantly higher on measures of anxiety, depression, and dissociation. Results support the use of a posttrauma framework for understanding the effects on children of living with domestic violence.