IS YOUTH VICTIMIZATION RELATED TO TRAUMA SYMPTOMS AND DEPRESSION AFTER CONTROLLING FOR PRIOR SYMPTOMS AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS - A LONGITUDINAL, PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

The common finding linking symptoms such as posttraumatic stress disor der(PTSD) and depression with youth victimization (e.g., sexual abuse) might well be artifactual if preexisting psychopathology or disturbed family relationships create a common risk for both later victimizatio n and later symptoms. This study used a longitudinal, prospective desi gn to examine this issue. In a national random sample telephone survey children 10 to 16 years old were interviewed and then reinterviewed a pproximately 15 months later about psychological problems. family rela tionships and victimization experiences that had occurred in the inter im. Victimization in the interim was associated with PTSD-related symp toms and depression measured at Time 2, even after controlling for the se symptoms and the quality of the parent-child relationship at Time I , The association was particularly strong for sexual abuse, parental a ssault, and kidnapping experiences. However, these data also suggest t hat some of the apparent association found in cross-sectional studies between victimization and psychopathology may be due to prior psychopa thology (but not parent-child relationship problems), which puts child ren at risk for both victimization and later symptoms.