Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an Australian Community Sample of Young People

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common disorders following exposure to trauma. It is a serious, often chronic, and debilitating disorder affecting children, young people, and adults. However, relatively little is known about the prevalence, risk factors, and maintenance of this disorder in Australian young people. This study describes the lifetime prevalence, chronicity, and psychological comorbidity of PTSD in an Australian birth cohort of 706 young people oversampled for maternal history of depression. Risk factors for the development of PTSD in young people were explored. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, data was collected on children from birth to age 20 years. Parent- and/or self-report data were available with diagnostic interviews conducted at 15 and 20 years. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine within-individual and environmental risk factors for PTSD and depression. A total of 6.4% of young people received a diagnosis of clinical PTSD with an additional 4.2% who had subclinical PTSD. PTSD was more common amongst females than males. The mean age of onset was 15 years and 4 months, and the mean duration of symptoms was 1 year and 11 months at the 20-year follow-up. The most common triggering event was a reported sexual assault and the second most reported triggering event was the witnessing of a severe injury or death of another person. PTSD was highly comorbid with lifetime diagnoses of major depression, other anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, behavioural disorders, and suicide attempts. A total of 19% of young people with clinical PTSD reported at least one lifetime suicide attempt.