Trauma and Dissociation in Delinquent Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 181596
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 39 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 353-359
• Author(s): Victor G. Carrion M.D.; Hans Steiner M.D.
• Editor(s): Mina K. Dulcan M.D.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): 5T32 MH19908-03
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Objectives of this 1996-1997 study were to assess history of trauma and dissociation in a group of juvenile delinquents and to assess how adolescents responded to a structured interview for dissociative symptoms.

Abstract

The subjects were 64 adolescents in juvenile probation hall in San Mateo County, California. Session One, participants answered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Response Evaluation Measure for Youth-71 (REMY-71), and the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory. In Session Two, participants were given the Childhood Trauma Interview (CTI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D). In the sample, 28.3 percent met criteria for a dissociative disorder and 96.8 percent endorsed a history of traumatic events. Significant positive correlations were found between CTI and CTQ trauma scores and SCID-D and REMY-71 dissociative symptoms. All dissociative symptoms were endorsed, but depersonalization was the most common experience. There was a lack of congruence between the different methods of assessing dissociation. The study provided support for an early link between history of trauma and dissociation. Adolescents were able to answer questions from a structured interview assessing dissociation. 26 references, 3 tables, and 1 figure