Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Supporting children after single- incident trauma: parents' views
Eva Alisic1, Hennie R Boeije, Marian J Jongmans
1Psychotrauma Center for Children and Youth, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands. e.alisic@umcutrecht.nl
Objective:
To strengthen trauma-informed health care by exploring parents' experiences of assisting their child after single-incident trauma (eg, violence, accidents, and sudden loss).
Method:
Semistructured interviews with parents (N = 33) of 25 exposed children (8-12 years).
Results:
Responsive parenting after trauma emerged as a core theme, consisting of (a) being aware of a child's needs and (b) acting on these needs. The authors identified 14 strategies, such as comparing behavior with siblings' behavior and providing opportunities to talk. Parents felt that their capacity to be responsive was influenced by their own level of distress.
Conclusion:
The authors propose a model of Relational PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) and Recovery to assist health care professionals working with children exposed to trauma. The results also point to the need to recognize the challenge that parents face when supporting a child after traumatic exposure and to align more with parents about procedures that may cause the child to be reminded of the event.
Related Concept Videos
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Attachment Styles
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Traumatic Memory
