Scholastic impairments among traumatized adolescents.

Abstract

This investigation sought to determine if exposure to exceptional stress is associated with academic deficits or whether academic deficits are specifically associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In order to address these questions, the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT) as well as a measure of intelligence were administered to three groups of Lebanese adolescents. The first group met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The second group had been exposed to qualitatively and quantitatively similar stressors but did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The third group consisted of nontraumatized controls. Data analysis using IQ as a covariate determined that the MAT scores of the PTSD subjects were significantly lower than the scores of the stress exposed PTSD negatives and controls. No significant differences were observed when the MAT scores of the stress exposed PTSD negatives and controls were compared.