title: Feasibility of a screening program for at-risk children following accidental injury.
abstract: Screening is recommended as a simple method for identifying those who should be monitored for risk following trauma. Effective methods for implementing large-scale screening programs are yet to be established. This study tested the feasibility and utility of a screening program with hospitalized youth exposed to injury in 3 Australian hospitals. Eligible families (N = 1,134) were contacted and 546 children (48.0%) screened for risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 1-2 weeks postinjury. There were 95 (17.4%) children whose screen result was at risk. A rescreening phase was introduced during the study, with 68 children completing the rescreen at 4-6 weeks postinjury, and 26 (38.2% of those rescreened) still at risk. Of those initially screened, 29 (5.3%) completed diagnostic assessments, 21 (3.8%) were diagnosed with partial or full PTSD, and 17 (3.1%) commenced treatment. Screening was successful at identifying and reaching children with PTSD, but the response rate was lower than expected, which limited the utility of the program. The addition of a rescreening phase demonstrated that not all at-risk children required intervention. These findings replicate previous studies that have shown natural remission in PTSD symptoms and highlight the potential for rescreening as part of a watchful waiting approach.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Counselling and Community, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: Justin A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kenardy
authors.forename: Vanessa E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Cobham
authors.forename: Reginald D V
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Young
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*