Modeling Constellations of Trauma Exposure in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Core Data Set

This article describes the features and utility of the Trauma History Profile (THP) component of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Core Data Set (CDS). The THP, which is derived from the Trauma History section of the University of California PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-IV, is a comprehensive tool to assist providers in identifying and characterizing a broad spectrum of 20 types of trauma experienced by children and adolescents. Additional questions assess the age during which each trauma type occurred and capture salient details about each experience. The THP allows for modeling of constellations of trauma history in ways conducive to risk stratification and triage, case conceptualization, treatment planning, and research. This article provides a conceptual background for the companion papers that are included in this special section. Selected illustrative findings from the NCTSN CDS (N = 14,088) are presented, including frequencies and mean duration of exposure to specific trauma types; distributions of age of onset by trauma type; frequencies of specific trauma exposure details relating to domestic violence; and a principal component analysis of clusters of co-occurring trauma types during childhood and adolescence. The article concludes with a discussion of implications of the THP for research and practice.