PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- In a national study of children in
motor vehicle crashes, researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
report that traumatic stress can occur without injury. Looking at a wide
range of crashes reported to State Farm Insurance Companies(R), researchers
found that while most children did well, two percent of the children and five
percent of their parents experienced multiple traumatic stress symptoms that
disrupted their lives.
There are more than 1.5 million crashes involving children in the U.S.
annually, suggesting that more than 25,000 children each year may require help
in coping with reactions to a crash. Researchers urge clinicians to screen
children and their parents after any crash experience.
"Until now, research on traumatic stress after crashes had only examined
patient populations in hospitals or clinics," said Dr. Flaura Winston, M.D.,
Ph.D., a pediatrician at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and lead
author on the study. "In this study, we found that, although it's less
common, traumatic stress can occur in children and their parents even if a
child wasn't injured in the crash." Dr Winston is also co-Director and a
principal investigator on the Partners for Child Passenger Safety study.
The study, published in this month's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine, examined 1,091 crashes reported to State Farm that occurred in 15
states and Washington, D.C., involving 1,483 child occupants between the ages
of five and 15, as part of Partners for Child Passenger Safety, an ongoing
research collaboration between the Children's Hospital and State Farm. While
traumatic stress symptoms were seen in children and their parents regardless
of injury, if a child received medical care after the crash, both the child
and their parents were four times more likely to have serious acute stress
symptoms than when no medical attention was required.
Symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD) can include frequent or upsetting
thoughts or memories about the crash; avoidance of reminders of the crash,
like refusing to get into a car; jumpiness or constantly feeling in danger;
and dissociation or emotional detachment.
"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 the 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 to
their own. Parents can talk openly with children about the experience and
answer questions the child might have; encourage younger children to draw
pictures and older children to write about what happened and how they are
feeling; and keep daily routines as normal as possible.
"Ask for help," says Dr. Winston. "If you are worried about your child or
yourself, talk to someone such as your family doctor." If symptoms persist
for a few weeks and are interfering with school or play, it is important to
speak to a doctor or counselor.
Fact sheets for parents and screening tools for physicians are available
at traumalink.chop.edu.
About Partners for Child Passenger Safety
Partners for Child Passenger Safety is a research collaboration between
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm. As of February 2005,
PCPS has created a database containing information on more than 377,000
crashes involving more than 557,000 children from birth through age 15 years.
It is the largest source of data on children in motor vehicle crashes.
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the
nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to
providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric
healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's
Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide.
Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking
second in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique
family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed
hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For
more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
About State Farm(R)
State Farm(R) insures more cars than any other insurer in North America
and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 69,000
employees serve nearly 73 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the
United States and Canada. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is
the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 19
on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please
visit http://www.statefarm.com(R) or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca(TM).
CONTACT: Dana Mortensen
(267) 426-6092
mortensen@email.chop.edu
SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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