Evaluating predictive screening for children's post-injury mental health: New data and a replication

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Trauma Studies
• Clinical Screening

Background:

• Effective secondary prevention of childhood posttrauma mental health issues requires validated predictive screening tools.
• Current screening tools for injured children lack a gold standard and sufficient replication data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess a predictive screening protocol for identifying children at risk for later posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression.
• To replicate and evaluate the performance of the Screening Tool for Early Predictors of PTSD (STEPP) and the Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire (CTSQ).

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 290 children hospitalized for acute injuries was enrolled.
• A three-part screening protocol, including acute PTS/depression symptoms and risk factors, was administered during hospitalization.
• Outcomes including PTS, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed at 6 months post-injury.

Main Results:

• The study's predictive screening protocol demonstrated effectiveness in identifying children at risk for adverse mental health outcomes.
• Performance data for the STEPP and CTSQ were gathered, contributing to replication evidence.
• Early screening in hospitalized children can inform targeted interventions for posttraumatic mental health.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated screening protocol shows potential for guiding secondary prevention efforts in pediatric trauma.
• Replication of screening tool performance is crucial for establishing reliable methods in clinical practice.
• Early identification of at-risk children post-injury can improve mental health outcomes and quality of life.