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Latent classes of childhood trauma exposure predict the development of behavioral health outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 July 2015

E. D. Ballard ,
K. Van Eck ,
R. J. Musci ,
S. R. Hart ,
C. L. Storr ,
N. Breslau  and
H. C. Wilcox
E. D. Ballard*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Experimental and Pathophysiology Branch, Bethesda, MD, USA
K. Van Eck
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Division of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
R. J. Musci
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
S. R. Hart
Affiliation:
Child Development Department, California State University, Chico, CA, USA
C. L. Storr
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
N. Breslau
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
H. C. Wilcox
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: E. D. Ballard, Ph.D., National Institute of Mental Health, Experimental and Pathophysiology Branch, Building 10, CRC Room 7-3345, 10 Center Drive, MSC 1282, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. (Email: Elizabeth.Ballard@nih.gov)
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Abstract

Background

To develop latent classes of exposure to traumatic experiences before the age of 13 years in an urban community sample and to use these latent classes to predict the development of negative behavioral outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood.

Method

A total of 1815 participants in an epidemiologically based, randomized field trial as children completed comprehensive psychiatric assessments as young adults. Reported experiences of nine traumatic experiences before age 13 years were used in a latent class analysis to create latent profiles of traumatic experiences. Latent classes were used to predict psychiatric outcomes at age ⩾13 years, criminal convictions, physical health problems and traumatic experiences reported in young adulthood.

Results

Three latent classes of childhood traumatic experiences were supported by the data. One class (8% of sample), primarily female, was characterized by experiences of sexual assault and reported significantly higher rates of a range of psychiatric outcomes by young adulthood. Another class (8%), primarily male, was characterized by experiences of violence exposure and reported higher levels of antisocial personality disorder and post-traumatic stress. The final class (84%) reported low levels of childhood traumatic experiences. Parental psychopathology was related to membership in the sexual assault group.

Conclusions

Classes of childhood traumatic experiences predict specific psychiatric and behavioral outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood. The long-term adverse effects of childhood traumas are primarily concentrated in victims of sexual and non-sexual violence. Gender emerged as a key covariate in the classes of trauma exposure and outcomes.

Keywords

Childhood adverse experienceslatent class analysistraumayoung adulthood
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 45 , Issue 15 , November 2015 , pp. 3305 - 3316
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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