Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Trajectories in Children Living in Families Reported for Family Violence

The present study examined latent class trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associations
between demographics, prior trauma, and reason for referral on class membership. Children ages 7–18 (n = 201)
were recruited for participation in the Navy Family Study following reports to the U.S. Navy’s Family Advocacy
Program (FAP). Initial interviews were conducted 2–6 weeks following FAP referral, with follow-ups conducted
at 9–12, 18–24, and 36–40 months. Growth mixture modeling revealed two latent class trajectories: a resilient
class and a persistent symptom class. Relative to youth in the resilient class, participants in the persistent symptom
class were more likely to be older and to report exposure to a greater number of trauma experiences at Time 1.