[Effects of traumatic stress].

The diagnosis PTSD does not adequately describe the impact of exposure to childhood trauma of the developing child. The objective of the study was to examine the prevalence of different interpersonal trauma types and to describe the long-term effects of maltreatment and neglect in a clinical sample of 34 adolescents. The majority (62%) of the sample was exposed to two different types of trauma during childhood. Emotional abuse and emotional neglect have been the most common trauma types (59%; 53%). 71% of the traumatized adolescents did not meet the criteria for PTSD. The most common diagnosis in the sample was Borderline Personality Disorder. All average scores at SCL-90-Symptom-Scale were clinical significant. Half of the sample reported suicide attempts and self destructive behavior. One third reported substance abuse and aggressive behavior against others respectively. None of the traumatized adolescents had a positive Self-concept. Altogether the results show that abused children and adolescents have a range of psychological sequelae that are not captured in the PTSD diagnostic criteria. Therefore the results support the necessity for a new and more precise diagnosis for chronically traumatized children and adolescents.