Emotional Reactions, Peritraumatic Dissociation, and Posttraumatic Stress Reactions in Adolescents

Abstract

In this study, the complexity of subjective responses during or immediately after traumatic experiences was explored. Immediate emotional reactions, intense physiological activity, cognitive reaction, and alterations in consciousness were evaluated in relation to current PTSD. The sample consisted of 51 multi-ethnic youth in a middle school. Youth completed a brief standardized self-report screening measure of exposure to traumatic events, and a follow-up interview that further assessed peritraumatic reactions and PTSD. Current PTSD reactions were significantly associated to four factors describing peritraumatic reactions: intense emotional reactions, physiological arousal, dissociation, and intervention thoughts, and these variables accounted for 48% of the variance in current PTSD reactions. The findings underscore the importance of including immediate subjective responses in evaluations of traumatized adolescents.