A latent class analysis of adolescent adverse life events based on a Danish national youth probability sample

Authors: Shevlin, Mark¹; Elklit, Ask²

Source: Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 62, Number 3, 2008 , pp. 218-224(7)

Publisher: Informa Healthcare

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Abstract:

The aim of this study was to determine if there are meaningful clusters of individuals with similar experiences of adverse life events in a nationally representative sample of Danish adolescents. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify such clusters or latent classes. In addition, the relationships between the latent classes and living arrangements and diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were estimated. A four-class solution was found to be the best description of multiple adverse life events, and the classes were labelled “Low Risk”, “Intermediate Risk”, “Pregnancy” and “High Risk”. Compared with the Low Risk class, the other classes were found to be significantly more likely to have a diagnosis PTSD and live with only one parent. This paper demonstrated how trauma research can focus on the individual as the unit of analysis rather than traumatic events.

Keywords: Adolescents; Life events; National sample; PTSD; Traumatic events

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/08039480801983992

Affiliations: 1: School of Psychology, University of Ulster at Magee, Northern Ireland 2: Department of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Denmark

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