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Cognitive/affective factors are associated with children's acute posttraumatic stress following pediatric intensive

Belinda L Dow1, Justin A Kenardy1, Deborah A Long2

  • 1Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine (CONROD), The University of Queensland.

Psychological Trauma : Theory, Research, Practice and Policy
|May 8, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Intensive Care
  • Child Psychology
  • Trauma Studies

Background:

  • Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions can lead to significant psychological distress in children.
  • Understanding factors contributing to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore children's experiences and memories of PICU admissions.
  • To identify key variables associated with acute PTSS in children post-PICU.
  • To determine the relative importance of premorbid, trauma, and cognitive/affective factors.

Main Methods:

  • 95 children (aged 6-16) and their parents participated.
  • Children completed questionnaires and interviews assessing PTSS, peritrauma affect, and memory 3 weeks post-discharge.
  • Medical data and premorbid/demographic information were collected.

Main Results:

  • Younger age, traumatic injury admission, and cognitive/affective factors (confusion, panic, memory quality) were linked to acute PTSS.
  • Cognitive/affective variables significantly increased the explained variance of PTSS.
  • Objective disease severity did not fully explain PTSS prevalence.

Conclusions:

  • Subjective cognitive factors and memory processing are critical in the development of PTSS after PICU.
  • Interventions should consider children's subjective experiences and cognitive processing of traumatic events.
  • Childhood trauma and memory significantly impact PTSS development.

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