Parental relationship quality as a resource for the early socio-emotional development during the first years

Abstract

Preschool-aged children between the ages of three and six have a high risk of experiencing violence or accidents, or they can be afflicted by life-threatening diseases or serious medical procedures. However, studies on the prevalence of traumatic experiences and disorders following trauma, e. g. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), in preschool children can so far only scarcely be found worldwide. This article therefore a) provides an overview over criteria and instruments for the diagnosis of PTSD in preschool children, b) summarises the results of a systematic literature review on the prevalence of PTSD in trauma-exposed preschool children, and c) describes the few available findings on p..