Assessing mental representatios with respect to parents and post-traumatic symptomatology among children with disruptive behavior disorders.

Introduction: In line with a consistent literature, children with externalizing disorders have experienced some traumatic events, such as experiences of rejection, abuse, violence assisted.Recent studies are examining the role of attachment for a better evaluation of this disorder. Aims of the study: The aims of this study are: 1) to evaluate the post-traumatic symptomatology in a group of children diagnosed withDisruptive Behavior Disorders; 2) to evaluate theirs attachment models; 3) to test the association between post-traumatic symptomatology and attachment organization. Material and methods: Forty consecutive Italian patients aged from 8 to 15 (M=10.7; SD=2.01) were administered the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC-A), a self-report evaluating post-traumatic symptomatology, and the Child Attachment Interview (CAI), a semi-structured interview assessing the attachment representations. Moreover socio-demographic data were collected. Results: Regarding post-traumatic symptomatology, patients with Disruptive Behavior Disorders showed high level of Anger and low level of Dissociation. Findings on the distribution of attachment models showed a significant presence of insecure attachment with respect to both parents and Disorganized attachment was found in more than half of the patients. Conclusions: This study suggests that attachment organization and post-traumatic symptomatology may be fundamental elements to be assessed with Disruptive Behavior Disordersin childhood and to understand the mental state and psychological features of children affected by this disorders. The clinical implications for future research directions and the methodological limitations are discussed