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Early childhood behavior trajectories and the likelihood of experiencing a traumatic event and PTSD by young adulthood

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Abstract

This study modeled children’s trajectories of teacher rated aggressive-disruptive behavior problems assessed at six time points between the ages of 6 and 11 and explored the likelihood of being exposed to DSM-IV qualifying traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 837 urban first graders (71% African American) followed-up for 15 years. Childhood trajectories of chronic high or increasing aggressive-disruptive behavior distinguished males more likely to be exposed to an assaultive violence event as compared to males with a constant course of low behavior problems (ORchronic high = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.3, 6.1 and ORincreasing = 4.5, 95% CI = 2.3, 9.1, respectively). Among females, exposure to traumatic events and vulnerability to PTSD did not vary by behavioral trajectory. The findings illustrate that repeated assessments of disruptive classroom behavior during early school years identifies more fully males at increased risk for PTSD-level traumatic events, than a single measure at school entry does.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants MH 71395 and MH 48802 from the National Institute of Mental Health and grants DA09897 and DA04392 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 655 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Carla L. Storr

  2. Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Cindy M. Schaeffer

  3. Dept. of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, College Park, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Hanno Petras

  4. Dept. of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Nicholas S. Ialongo

  5. Dept. of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Naomi Breslau

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  1. Carla L. Storr
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  5. Naomi Breslau
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Correspondence to Carla L. Storr.

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Storr, C.L., Schaeffer, C.M., Petras, H. et al. Early childhood behavior trajectories and the likelihood of experiencing a traumatic event and PTSD by young adulthood. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 44, 398–406 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0446-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0446-6

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