| Abstract [eng] |
Potentially traumatic events in childhood can have long-term negative consequences for children's development and psychosocial functioning. It is therefore important to assess children's post-traumatic stress as early as possible, ideally using developmentally appropriate assessment tools. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of potentially traumatic events and the associations between children's behavioural and emotional difficulties, post-traumatic stress reactions, and the characteristics of children's play narratives in the Odence Child Trauma Screening (OCTS). The study included 50 children aged 3-8 years, 33 girls and 17 boys. The comparison group (n = 25) was selected from kindergartens and schools in Vilnius, while the at-risk group (n = 25) was selected from institution providing psychological support to children. Parents/guardians completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, a list of potentially traumatic events from the Child and Adolescent Trauma Questionnaire (CATS), the International Trauma Questionnaire - Child and Adolescent Version (ITQ-CA) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Children were administered OCTS. The results showed that 84% of the at-risk group children and 48% of the comparison group children experienced at least one potentially traumatic event. No significant associations were found between children's post-traumatic stress reactions and scores of OCTS stories. Children's conduct problems were positively associated with OCTS Burnt Hand story scores in the overall study sample. |
