Analysis of the impact of traumatic stress on the health of children and adolescents.
Aim: To analyze the health status of children and adolescents depending on the severity of traumatic stress.
Materials and Methods: The study involved 105 children and adolescents (mean age [mean ± standard deviation] 11,3±2,7; 48 [45,7%] boys and 57 [54,3%] girls), who suffered to some extent from the Russian army's invasion of Ukraine. The respondents' mental and somatic states were assessed using the Child Traumatic Stress Scale - Pediatric Traumatic Stress Screening Tool (PTSST) and the Children's Somatic Symptoms Inventory (CSSI-24).
Results: According to the screening data on the PTSST, 42,9% of children presented with a moderate risk, and 40,0% with a high risk of developing post-traumatic stress reaction (PTSR) (83% in total). We revealed a trend towards an increase in the PTSST score with respect to the increase in the stress burden per participant. The PTSST score was comparable between children who remained in the fighting zone and those who left and live abroad. The CSSI-24 data suggested that 44,8% of children had somatic symptoms of high or moderate intensity. Gastrointestinal complaints were identified more often than others and had a pronounced degree of severity. A strong direct correlation was revealed between PTSST and CSSI-24 scores (ρ=0,726; p<0,05).
Conclusions: The mental state of children was characterized by the risk of developing PTSR in more than 80% of children. A strong direct correlation between the level of traumatic stress reaction and the severity of somatic complaints indicates a high risk of developing somatic diseases as a result of the stress experienced.
Materials and Methods: The study involved 105 children and adolescents (mean age [mean ± standard deviation] 11,3±2,7; 48 [45,7%] boys and 57 [54,3%] girls), who suffered to some extent from the Russian army's invasion of Ukraine. The respondents' mental and somatic states were assessed using the Child Traumatic Stress Scale - Pediatric Traumatic Stress Screening Tool (PTSST) and the Children's Somatic Symptoms Inventory (CSSI-24).
Results: According to the screening data on the PTSST, 42,9% of children presented with a moderate risk, and 40,0% with a high risk of developing post-traumatic stress reaction (PTSR) (83% in total). We revealed a trend towards an increase in the PTSST score with respect to the increase in the stress burden per participant. The PTSST score was comparable between children who remained in the fighting zone and those who left and live abroad. The CSSI-24 data suggested that 44,8% of children had somatic symptoms of high or moderate intensity. Gastrointestinal complaints were identified more often than others and had a pronounced degree of severity. A strong direct correlation was revealed between PTSST and CSSI-24 scores (ρ=0,726; p<0,05).
Conclusions: The mental state of children was characterized by the risk of developing PTSR in more than 80% of children. A strong direct correlation between the level of traumatic stress reaction and the severity of somatic complaints indicates a high risk of developing somatic diseases as a result of the stress experienced.
Authors
Shlieienkova Shlieienkova, Cherkashyn Cherkashyn, Voloshyn Voloshyn, Rzhevska Rzhevska, Tsiura Tsiura, Shevchenko Shevchenko
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