Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Trajectories in Parents of Children Exposed to Motor Vehicle Collisions.
OBJECTIVE
Following child trauma, parents are at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), either owing to their direct involvement or from hearing of their child's involvement. Despite the potential impact of a parent's development of PTSD on both the parent and child, little is known about what may place a parent at increased risk.


METHODS
PTSD symptoms were assessed ≤ 4 weeks, 6 months, and 3 years post-trauma, along with a range of potential risk factors, in a sample of parents of 2-10-year-old children who were involved in a motor vehicle collision.


CONCLUSIONS
Two symptom trajectories were identified: Those parents whose symptoms remained low across all time points and those whose symptoms remained elevated at 6 months post-trauma and declined by 3 years. Subjective threat, thought suppression, and maladaptive cognitions about damage to the child were identified as key predictors of poorer outcomes.
Department of Psychology, University of Bath, R.Hiller@bath.ac.uk.
Rachel M
RM
Hiller
Department of Psychology, University of Bath.
Sarah L
SL
Halligan
Kent Hospital University Trust.
Rachel
R
Ariyanayagam
Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.
Tim
T
Dalgleish
King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience.
Patrick
P
Smith
King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience.
William
W
Yule
Emergency Department, King's College Hospital, and.
Ed
E
Glucksman
Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.
Peter
P
Watson
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of East Anglia.
Richard
R
Meiser-Stedman
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*
family functioning; longitudinal research; parents; posttraumatic stress; risk.