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Characterization of symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in girls victims of sexual abuse

The present paper describes the presence of symptoms or diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in girls victims of sexual abuse, through two clinical interviews. Moreover, the use of two instruments of assessment of child PTSD diagnosis in two clinical samples has been compared. In Study I (n=40 girls) symptoms were assessed through clinical interview, based on DSM-IV/SCID/TEPT, and in Study II (n=15 girls) through the Brazilian version of K-SADS-PL/TEPT. The results pointed out similarities concerning the presence of PTSD diagnosis in both samples, around 70%, although instruments showed specific differences concerning the manifestation of criteria C (avoidance and numbing) and criteria D (excessive arousal). Small differences in the instruments' structure and application were observed. It has been concluded that both instruments can be applicable to research and to clinical assessment of child PTSD.

sexual abuse; posttraumatic stress; clinical interview


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