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Acute traumatic stress symptoms in child occupants and their parent drivers after crash involvement

Flaura K Winston1, Chiara Baxt, Nancy L Kassam-Adams

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania and TraumaLink, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. flaura@mail.med.upenn.edu

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|November 9, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms affect 1.6% of children and 4.7% of parents after traffic crashes. Injuries and medical care increased risk, but symptoms also occurred without these factors, highlighting the need for screening.

Area of Science:

  • Trauma psychology
  • Pediatric emergency medicine
  • Public health

Background:

  • Traffic crashes are a significant source of trauma for children and parents.
  • While 1 in 4 hospitalized children with crash injuries and their parents show acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms, the prevalence in the broader population is unknown.
  • This study addresses the gap in understanding ASD symptom prevalence in children and parents exposed to traffic crashes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms in children and their driver parents following vehicle crashes.
  • To identify risk factors associated with the development of ASD symptoms in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted using telephone surveys of parent drivers and children (aged 5-15).
  • Data were collected through an exposure-based crash surveillance system, with a weighted sample representing 24,376 children from 18,422 crashes.
  • Parent-reported ASD symptoms and functional impairment were the primary outcome measures.

Main Results:

  • Significant acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms were reported in 1.6% of children and 4.7% of parents involved in crashes.
  • In children, ASD symptoms were linked to sustaining injuries and receiving medical care.
  • In parents, ASD symptoms correlated with child injury, child receiving medical care, Hispanic ethnicity, lower income, and higher crash severity.

Conclusions:

  • While injuries and medical treatment are key predictors of ASD symptoms post-crash, these symptoms can also manifest without such factors.
  • Healthcare professionals should consider screening for traumatic stress symptoms in children and parents involved in traffic crashes, especially if injuries occurred.
  • Early identification and intervention are crucial for mitigating the long-term impact of traumatic stress following vehicle incidents.
Abstract

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