Predicting Postraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children After Road Traffic Accidents

• NCJ Number: 212497
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 44 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 1276-1283
• Author(s): Markus A. Landolt Ph.D.; Margarete Vollrath Ph.D.; Karin Timm M.D.; Hanspeter E. Gnehm M.D.; Felix H. Sennhauser M.D.
• Date Published: December 2005
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study attempted to assess the prevalence, course, and predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children after road traffic accidents.

Abstract

In Western societies, road traffic accidents (RTAs) are among the most common traumatic events that children can face. Evidence shows that children can suffer significant and long-lasting psychological distress following a RTA. Evidence also finds that about 10 to 35 percent of these children develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed at assessing the prevalence and course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) in children 4 to 6 weeks and 12 months after a RTA and aimed at investigating accident- and injury-related individual and parental predictors of PTSSs in children after a RTA. Participants assessed were from four children’s hospitals in Switzerland. The study found that clinically significant PTSSs occur in a small but significant portion of school-age children as a consequence of RTAs. Study limitations and implications are presented and discussed. Tables, references