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Acute Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Symptoms Among English and Spanish Speaking Children with Recent Trauma Exposure

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Abstract

A growing literature suggests the clinical importance of acute stress disorder symptoms in youth following potentially traumatic events. A multisite sample of English and Spanish speaking children and adolescents (N = 479) between the ages of 8–17, along with their caregivers completed interviews and self-report questionnaires between 2 days and 1 month following the event. The results indicate that children with greater total acute stress symptoms reported greater depressive (r = .41, p < .01) and anxiety symptoms (r = .53, p < .01). Examining specific acute stress subscales, reexperiencing was correlated with anxiety (r = .47, p < .01) and arousal was correlated with depression (r = .50, p < .01) and anxiety (r = .55, p < .01). Age was inversely associated with total acute stress symptoms (r = −.24, p < .01), reexperiencing (r = −.17, p < .01), avoidance (r = −.27, p < .01), and arousal (r = −.19, p < .01) and gender was related to total anxiety symptoms (Spearman’s ρ = .17, p < .01). The current study supports the importance of screening acute stress symptoms and other mental health outcomes following a potentially traumatic event in children and adolescents. Early screening may enable clinicians to identify and acutely intervene to support children’s psychological and physical recovery.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by a Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH076116). The authors gratefully acknowledge the efforts of F. Daniel Armstrong, PhD, Zorash Montaño, MA, Anai Cuadra, PhD, Cynthia Muñoz, PhD, Kristen Kohser, MSW, Felipe García-España, PhD, Patricia Isakowitz, MSW, Alain Benitez, MD, Claudia García-Leeds, PhD, Jennifer Menjivar, BA, Nicole Mahrer, MA, Monica Molina, JD, and Elsa Salazar, MD, all of whom were instrumental in study conduct.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Beth A. Barber & Krista L. Kohl

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Nancy Kassam-Adams

  3. Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey I. Gold

  4. Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, MS#12, Los Angeles, CA, 90027-6062, USA

    Jeffrey I. Gold

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  1. Beth A. Barber
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  2. Krista L. Kohl
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  3. Nancy Kassam-Adams
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  4. Jeffrey I. Gold
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Correspondence to Beth A. Barber.

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Barber, B.A., Kohl, K.L., Kassam-Adams, N. et al. Acute Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Symptoms Among English and Spanish Speaking Children with Recent Trauma Exposure. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 21, 66–71 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-013-9382-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-013-9382-z

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