Symptom differences in acute and chronic presentation of childhood post-traumatic stress disorder.

The authors report on 24 children diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to DSM-III criteria. Each child was designated as presenting with acute or chronic PTSD depending upon the duration of symptoms. Children with the acute form of PTSD presented with a relative increase in spontaneously acting as though the trauma were recurring upon real or symbolic exposure, difficulty falling asleep, hypervigilance, nightmares, exaggerated startle response, and generalized anxiety/agitation. Those presenting with the chronic form had relative increases in symptoms of detachment, restricted range of affect, dissociative episodes, sadness, and a belief that life will be too hard.