Posttraumatic stress disorder in children: A review

The field of child clinical psychology has increasingly focused on how to assess the occurrence and impact of traumatic events on children with the explicit goal of determining effective and efficient therapeutic techniques for helping children manage the sequelae of such events. This paper provides an overview of the psychological literature in childhood trauma. We address important questions most pertinent to clinicians working with children and families: How many children experience traumatic events? What types of trauma do children most often experience? How should childhood trauma and related outcomes be assessed in clinical practice? What therapeutic interventions are available? What information is yet needed and what challenges do we face? Throughout, we consider biological, individual, and cultural factors and pay particular attention to how innovations in technology and communications hold promise for this field.