Psychological Consequences of Human Trafficking: Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Trafficked Children

Trafficked children are frequently exposed to multiple traumatic events during their recruitment, transit, and ongoing exploitation. It has been hypothesized that such exposures can lead to the development of Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This historical cohort study compared outcomes for trafficked children with a diagnosis of PTSD and nontrafficked children who had been exposed to single or multiple trauma. The authors found that child trafficking and multiple trauma exposure were associated with more complex PTSD and conclude that a thorough clinical assessment at intake is crucial to ensure additional symptoms are meaningfully incorporated into treatment plans.