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Posttraumatic Stress in Youth Experiencing Illnesses and Injuries: An Exploratory Meta-Analysis

Case Western Reserve University, Department of Psychology, 11220 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106; shoshana.kahana{at}case.edu

Norah C. Feeny

Eric A. Youngstrom

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Dennis Drotar

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Division of Behavioral Pediatrics & Psychology, Cleveland, Ohio

To date there is no quantitative review of predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in youth experiencing illnesses or injuries. This article presents a meta-analysis of variables associated with the development of PTSD among those youth. Twenty-six studies were included: 18 involving children experiencing injuries and 8 with pediatric illnesses. Among injured youth, socioeconomic status and social impairment were small to moderate correlates of PTSD, whereas depressive and anxious symptoms, dissociation, acute stress disorder, and the appraisal of trauma severity and life threat displayed large effect sizes with PTSD severity. Among ill youth, social support and the appraisal of illness severity and life threat emerged as small to moderate predictors of posttraumatic symptoms. The current findings are exploratory in nature, as a primary limitation of the current study includes the limited number of independent studies that have evaluated these predictors. Current findings further our understanding of PTSD through exploration of possible indicators of at-risk youth who have experienced illness and injury.

Key Words: PTSD • youth • injuries • medical illness • predictors

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