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Cited by 40Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchChild Abuse and TraumaChild Therapy and Development

Preventive intervention for trauma reactions in young injured children: Results of a multi-site randomised controlled trial

Haag, Ann‐Christin, Landolt, Markus A., Kenardy, Justin A., Schiestl, Clemens M., Kimble, Roy M., De Young, Alexandra C.·2020·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI 10.1111/jcpp.13193
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Young children are at particular risk for injury. Ten per cent to twenty-five per cent develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, no empirically supported preventive interventions exist. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy of a standardised targeted preventive intervention for PTSD in young injured children. METHODS: Injured children (1-6 years) were enrolled in a multi-site parallel-group superiority prospective randomised controlled trial (RCT) in Australia and Switzerland. Screening for PTSD risk occurred 6-8 days postaccident. Parents of children who screened 'high-risk' were randomised to a 2-session CBT-based intervention or treatment-as-usual (TAU). Primary outcomes were PTSD symptom (PTSS) severity, and secondary outcomes were PTSD diagnosis, functional impairment and behavioural difficulties at 3 and 6 months postinjury using blinded assessments. Trials were registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12614000325606) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02088814). Trial status is complete. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-three children screened 'high-risk' were assigned to intervention (n = 62) or TAU (n = 71). Multilevel intention-to-treat analyses revealed a significant intervention effect on PTSS severity over time (b = 60.06, 95% CI: 21.30-98.56). At 3 months, intervention children (M = 11.02, SD = 10.42, range 0-47) showed an accelerated reduction in PTSS severity scores compared to control children (M = 17.30, SD = 13.94, range 0-52; mean difference -6.97, 95% CI: -14.02 to 0.08, p adj. = .055, d = 0.51). On secondary outcomes, multilevel analyses revealed significant treatment effects for PTSD diagnosis, functional impairment and behavioural difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: This multi-site RCT provides promising preliminary evidence for the efficacy of a targeted preventive intervention for accelerating recovery from PTSS in young injured children. This has important clinical implications for the psychological support provided to young children and parents during the acute period following a single-event trauma.

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Authors
Haag, A., Landolt, M. A., Kenardy, J. A., Schiestl, C. M., Kimble, R. M., & De Young, A. C.
Affiliations
  • University of Zurich (CH)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • University Children's Hospital Zurich (CH)
  • School of Psychology University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2020-01-08
Volume
61
Issue
9
Pages
988-997
ISSN
  • 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7610
DOI
10.1111/jcpp.13193
OpenAlex
W3000651695
Cited by
40
References
32
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2
FWCI
1.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (100014_149158)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Therapy and Development
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, children, injuries, preventive interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma response, PTSD symptom severity, functional disability, behavioral problems, parental support
MeSH terms
Psychological Trauma, Adult, Australia, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Parents, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

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