Developmental Trauma Disorder

Toward a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories.

van der Kolk, Bessel A. MD

Dr. van der Kolk is professor of psychiatry, Boston University Medical School, Boston, MA; clinical director, The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, Brookline, MA; and co-director, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Community Program, Boston.

Address reprint requests to: Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD, 16 Braddock Park, Boston, MA 02116.

Dr. van der Kolk has no industry relationships to disclose.

The following members of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network DSM-V task force contributed to the development of the proposed diagnosis of developmental trauma disorder: Marylene Cloitre, PhD; Julian Ford, PhD; Alicia Lieberman, PhD; Frank Putnam, MD; Robert Pynoos, MD; Glenn Saxe, MD; Michael Scheeringa, PhD; Joseph Spinazzola, PhD; Allan Steinberg, MD; and Martin Teicher, MD, PhD.

Psychiatric Annals 35(5):p 401-408, May 2005.

A more specific diagnosis than posttraumatic stress disorder should be considered for children with complex trauma histories.