The course of posttraumatic stress in children: examination of recovery trajectories following traumatic injury.

OBJECTIVE Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify patterns of posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) in children 6-16 years following accidental injury. The aims were to: (a) identify probable groups of children following distinct trajectories, and (b) identify risk factors affecting the probability of group membership. METHOD Children's Impact of Events Scale (n = 190) was used to assess PTSS up to 2 years post injury. Age, gender, type of injury, and preinjury behavior were assessed as risk factors. RESULTS Three distinct trajectory groups were identified: resilient (57%), elevated stress symptoms which recovered quickly (33%), and chronic (10%). Younger children were more likely to be in the recovery group. Those with serious injuries were more likely to be in the chronic group. Preinjury child behavior problems were predictive of recovery and high chronic symptoms. CONCLUSION Identification of distinct PTSS trajectory groups has implications for understanding the course and treatment of PTSS in children.