AssessmentAssessment andand TraumaTrauma FocusedFocused TreatmentTreatment forfor ChildrenChildren Ernestine Briggs-King, PhD National Center for Child Traumatic Stress Duke University School of Medicine Child and Family Focused Torture Treatment Services Institute March 28, 2012 TheThe NationalNational ChildChild TraumaticTraumatic StressStress NetworkNetwork The National Child Traumatic Stress Network is supported through funding from the Donald J. Cohen National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). NationalNational ChildChild TraumaticTraumatic StressStress NetworkNetwork MissionMission StatementStatement The mission of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families, and communities throughout the United States. AnAn OverviewOverview ofof ChildChild TraumaticTraumatic StressStress andand PTSDPTSD RangeRange ofof TraumaticTraumatic EventsEvents Trauma embedded in the fabric of daily life ● Child abuse and maltreatment ● Domestic violence ● Community violence and criminal victimization ● Sexual assault ● Medical trauma ● Traumatic loss ● Accidents/fires ● Natural disasters ● War/Terrorism/Political Violence ● Forced Displacement WhatWhat WeWe KnowKnow…….... Violence exposure through families, schools, neighborhoods, communities, and media are at epidemic levels Young children are particularly at risk Maltreatment of children and violence against women often go hand in hand Children suffer severe emotional and developmental consequences from exposure to violence The effects of trauma are further complicated by poverty and adversity WhatWhat isis traumatictraumatic stress?stress? Exposure to events that involve threats of injury, death, or danger where intense terror, anxiety, and helplessness is experienced Common causes: physical/sexual abuse, DV, war, community violence, natural disasters, displacement Can occur via direct experience or witnessing event, or hearing about an event Reactions vary with age, but even very young children experience intense reactions Children:Children: SignsSigns && SymptomsSymptoms ofof TraumaTrauma ExposureExposure 9 Sleep disturbances 9 Regressive behaviors 9 Fear/Worry 9 Withdrawal 9 Separation anxiety 9 Blunted emotions 9 Hyper-vigilance 9 Distractibility 9 Physical complaints 9 Changes in play 9 Irritability 9 Changes in social 9 Emotional upset functioning 9 Learning /School 9 Impulsivity difficulties 9 Aggression SymptomsSymptoms ofof PTSDPTSD Re-experiencing TraumaTrauma Avoidance/Numbing Hyperarousal American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. 1994. DSMDSM--IVIV PosttraumaticPosttraumatic StressStress DisorderDisorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) A) A traumatic event • experienced, witnessed or confronted an event, involving actual or threatened death, serious injury • Trauma response involved fear, hopelessness, horror B) Reexperiencing: intrusive recollections, dreams, flashbacks, (traumatic play) ,distress w/ exposure to cues, physiological reactivity to trauma cues C) Avoidance: thoughts, feelings, activities, amnesia Numbing: restricted affect, foreshortened sense of future D) Hyperarousal: insomnia, irritability, anger outbursts, trouble concentrating, hypervigilance, increased startle, *somatization z Duration > 1 month z Related impairment YoungYoung ChildrenChildren Be aware of developmental differences in manifestation of symptoms Often present with generalized anxiety symptoms Fears of separation, stranger anxiety Re-enactment in play or drawings Loss of recently acquired developmental skills ● Regress in areas like feeding, toileting Uncharacteristic aggression, irritability **Young children are strongly affected by parental reactions ComorbidityComorbidityComorbidity Affective Sleep Disorders Anxiety Disorders Disorders Thought Disorders Somatoform PTSD Disorders Dissociative Disorders /SIB Eating disorders Disruptive Substance Behavior Abuse Disorders -March & Amaya-Jackson ‘98 WhichWhich childrenchildren && adolescentsadolescents developdevelop acuteacute andand posttraumaticposttraumatic symptoms?symptoms? Not all children develop symptoms following exposure to a traumatic event Studies show that approximately 20% of children who are exposed to trauma develop PTSD symptoms Development of symptoms seems to be mediated by a variety of factors ContinuumContinuum ResilienceResilience SevereSevere DistrDistressess Varies by: Type of trauma Severity Chronicity Cultural beliefs Other experiences Timing Cumulative risk Reactions:Reactions: RefugeeRefugee ChildrenChildren && FamiliesFamilies Physical and psychological problems Idioms of distress Often multiple and complex trauma histories May appear asymptomatic Many problems are treatable & some problems are preventable AssessmentAssessment ofof ChildrenChildren Developmentally informed Culturally sensitive/relevant Include multiple informants Abuse/Trauma-specific outcomes Abuse/Trauma-informed cognitions & symptoms Other behavioral and emotional problems that may not be the result of the abuse/traumatic experience Functional impairments in multiple domains ● Home, school, community TheThe ImportanceImportance ofof EarlyEarly IdentificationIdentification Difficulties resulting from exposure to trauma can persist (beyond a normal reaction to an abnormal event) and result in PTSD & other impairments PTSD affects children in every area of development (e.g., peer relationships, learning) PTSD can lead to increased risk of substance abuse & delinquent behavior Chronic trauma affects brain development and therefore may be particularly harmful for young children ScreeningScreening andand AssessmentAssessment ConcernsConcerns AboutAbout AssessmentsAssessments Time to administer Time to score/interpret Time involved to get scores back Providing Feedback Engagement/ Cultural Relevance ‘Fit’ with Clinical interview All those questions!!!! Access to measures, interpreters, other resources Trauma History Timeline: Male Age 12 Age In Years Un Trauma Information 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Sexual Maltreatment/Abuse Physical Maltreatment/Abuse Physical Assault Emotional Abuse/ Psychological Maltreatment Neglect Domestic Violence Illness/Medical Serious Injury/Accident Natural Disaster Trauma Loss or Bereavement Impaired Caregiver Community Violence StandardizedStandardized MeasuresMeasures (Child)(Child) y Trauma Exposure & Symptoms y Exposure to Violence (Amaya-Jackson, 1995 adapted from Richters & Martinez)* y Child PTSD Checklist (Amaya-Jackson & March, 1995)* y Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (Briere, 1996)* y UCLA PTSD Reaction Index (Child & Adolescent, Steinberg, Pynoos, et al) y Depression y Children’s Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 1992)* y Broad-band y Youth Self Report Form (Achenbach, 1991)* y Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman et al., 1997) AssessmentsAssessments –– TSCCTSCC--AA Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children – Alternate (TSCC-A) ● 44 items (does NOT include items on sexual behaviors/problems) ● Subscales = Anxiety, Depression, Anger, PTS, Dissociation ● Critical items ● Scores reported as T-scores (standardized) • T-Score of 65 or higher indicates serious problem(s) in that domain • T-Score of 60-64 suggests difficulty/sub-clinical ● Also includes validity scales • Underresponse (Und) – >70 = invalid • Hyperresponse (Hyp) – >90 = invalid Available at PAR http://www4.parinc.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=TSCC AssessmentsAssessments –– UCLAUCLA PTSDPTSD--IndexIndex forfor DSMDSM--IVIV y UCLA PTSD – Index for DSM-IV y Assesses for DSM-IV PTSD symptoms (5 point-likert) y Indicates whether the child meets each of three criteria (B -Re-experiencing, C - Avoidance, D - Hyperarousal) required for a diagnosis y Can also be used as a continuous measure (cut-point of 38 associated with increased likelihood of having PTSD) y Measure also assesses exposure to more than 20 different traumatic events (CDS uses general trauma and detail forms to assess exposure) Pynoos, R., Rodriguez, N., Steinberg, A., Stuber, M., & Frederick, C. (1998). UCLA PTSD Index for DSM-IV. Available at : UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Service Email: [email protected] AssessingAssessing LifetimeLifetime TraumaTrauma HistoryHistory withwith thethe UCLAUCLA PTSDPTSD--RIRI (Items(Items 11--14)14) Trauma History Profile Chronic/Repeated Trauma TRAUMA Trauma Features Primary AGE(S) EXPERIENCED TYPE Chronic/ Repeated 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Neglect/ Physical Emotional Victim Witness Maltreatment Sexual Abuse Penetration Victim Non- Family Witness Intra-familial CPS Report Physical Abuse Serious Injury Victim Weapon Used Witness CPS Report Emotional Caregiver Substance Victim Abuse Witness Abuse Domestic Weapon Used Victim Reported Witness Violence Serious Injury Report Filed Community Gang-Related High Crime Violence Drug Traffic War/Political _____________________ Violence Medical Illness _____________________ Circumscribed Trauma Circumscribed AGE(S) EXPERIENCED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Serious Accident Motor Vehicle Victim