Implementation of a screen and treat program for child posttraumatic stress disorder in a school setting after a school suicide.
To provide effective treatments for childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) children with PTSD must first be identified. The authors implemented a "screen and treat" program following a widely witnessed school suicide. Three months after the suicide, exposed students received the Child Trauma Symptom Questionnaire at school. Parents received the questionnaire to rate their children's PTSD symptoms. Children with scores > or =5 received follow-up interviews and those diagnosed with PTSD were referred for treatment. Ninety-six percent of exposed students were screened, 14% screened positive, and 6% had PTSD. Child and parent agreement was generally poor. All children with PTSD were successfully referred to treatment. Screen and treat programs using existing clinical instruments are efficient and acceptable for use in school settings following trauma.
Charuvastra
Anthony
A
NYU Medical Center and Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA. acharuvastra@gmail.com
Goldfarb
Elizabeth
E
Petkova
Eva
E
Cloitre
Marylene
M
D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012572:School Health Services; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires