| Abstract [eng] |
Atkočiūnas, A. (2024). Associations between traumatic reactions and other mental health indicators in young children. Master's thesis. Vilnius: Vilnius University, p. 66. It is known that traumas experienced in childhood can have long-term psychological, emotional, and physical consequences. However, there are not many studies examining children's post-traumatic reactions due to challenges in assessing the psychological well-being in young children. Additionally, few studies investigate the differences in traumatic reactions among children across genders and age groups. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between signs of psychological trauma and other indicators of mental health in a sample of at-risk young children. The study involved 42 children, of whom 18 (42,9%) were boys and 24 (57,1%) were girls, with an average age of 6,24 years (SD = 1.45), ranging from 4 to 8 years old. The participants were selected from child care and support institutions. The instruments used included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997) and the Odense Child Trauma Screening (OCTS; Løkkegaard et al., 2017). The average OCTS score was 4,16 and the overall SDQ difficulty score was 15,88 in the sample of at-risk young children. In this sample, poorer social behavior was associated with higher trauma symptoms. Differences were found when comparing different gender and age groups. In the girls' group, a connection was found between trauma symptoms and more pronounced behavioral issues, while in the boys' group, higher levels of behavioral difficulties and OCTS Bicycle story scores were found. Trauma symptoms in younger children (4-6 years old) were associated with poorer social behavior, while the older children (7-8 years old) group had higher levels of behavioral difficulties and hyperactivity than younger children. OCTS code that reflects abnormal narrative style was higher in the younger children (4-6 years old) group and in the girls' group. The results indicate the importance of considering age and gender differences when assessing potential trauma symptoms in children. |
