Can developmental trauma disorder be distinguished from posttraumatic stress disorder? A symptom-level person-centred empirical approach

Abstract

Background: Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) is a proposed childhood psychiatric diagnosis for psychopathological and developmental sequela of victimization and attachment trauma extending beyond posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: To determine whether a sub-group of trauma-impacted children is characterized by symptoms of DTD that extend beyond, or co-occur with, the symptoms of PTSD. Method: Person-centred Latent Class Analyses (LCA) were done with data from 507 children (ages 7–18 years, (M = 12.11, SD = 2/92); 49% female) referred to the study by mental health or paediatric clinicians. Results: A four class solution was optimal (LMR = 398.264, p