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"The majority of these children, and their parents, are not diagnosed properly and do not receive the psychological care they need to recover and get back to normal activity," says Dr. Winston.

Parents Suffer Traumatic Stress After Child-involved Crashes

In the study, parents were more likely than children to show signs of emotional distress following an accident. About one in six children with serious injuries (such as a fracture) and about one in four of their parents showed symptoms of acute stress after a crash. When injuries were minor, about one in 20 children and one in six parents were affected.

"For a family, a crash is like their own personal disaster," says Chiara Baxt, Ph.D., a co-author on the study and psychologist on the research team. "We found that the disruption a crash causes in the lives of parents was a predictor that the parents especially could suffer from symptoms of traumatic stress." Having a child recovering from an injury, having a vehicle so damaged it can't be driven, and dealing with financial repercussions of a crash are factors that may increase the likelihood of traumatic stress symptoms for parents.

The researchers recommend that clinicians screen for symptoms of acute stress in all children who have been in a crash, and in their parents, regardless of whether the child suffered injuries. Most children will recover with time and support, but in some cases symptoms will persist and get in the way of daily functioning, a sign that mental health counseling may be needed in order to recover completely.

What Can Parents Do?

Children's Hospital researchers say that the most important thing parents can do is to be aware of their child's emotional reaction to the crash and
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Contact: Dana Mortensen
Mortensen@email.chop.edu
267-426-6092
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
7-Nov-2005