Are Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Connected to Psychiatric Comorbidity in Danish Pre-Schoolers?

This study examined the onset of seven psychiatric disorders and the amount of functional impairment in 80 preschool children (ages 1–6 years) following different kinds of traumatic events. Assessed via caregiver reports from an age-modified diagnostic interview, 46.3% of the children were identified as suffering from PTSD. Of those children, 78.3% had at least one comorbid disorder with oppositional defiant disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and major depression disorder being the most common. The prevalence of the disorders was significantly higher compared to the group of children without diagnosed PTSD. Furthermore, all the children displayed a wide range of symptomatology with profound functional impairment in different domains such as interpersonal relations with caregivers, siblings, and peers. These findings provide empirical support for assessing trauma related symptoms in very young children and indicate psychiatric comorbidity occurs in young traumatized children as evidenced in other age groups. © 2017, Springer International Publishing.