Validation of the French version of the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index: psychometric properties in French speaking school-aged children.

Background: Although the reliable and valid Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI) is a widely used measure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children, it has not been validated in French-speaking populations. The present study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the CPTS-RI in three samples of French-speaking school-children.

Methods: Data was obtained from three samples.

Peritraumatic reactions and posttraumatic stress symptoms in school-aged children victims of road traffic accident.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the power of self-reported peritraumatic distress and dissociation to predict the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in school-aged children.

Methods: School-aged children aged 8 to 15 years admitted to an emergency department after a road traffic accident were enrolled (n=103). Participants were assessed with the child versions of the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory and the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire within 1 week.

Symptoms of traumatic stress in mothers of children victims of a motor vehicle accident.

Background: Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are the main cause of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in industrialized countries. This includes the frequently occurring but understudied situation of parents learning that their children were injured. However, unlike in other types of trauma survivors, little is known about the predictors of PTSD symptoms in mothers whose child has suffered an MVA.

Children's enduring PTSD symptoms are related to their family's adaptability and cohesion.

This study compared, 18-24 months after an industrial disaster, in two groups of children (those with clinically relevant PTSD symptoms versus those with low PTSD symptoms), the child's perception of family cohesion and adaptability, the child's experience of the explosion, and parental characteristics. Enmeshed family cohesion or rigid family adaptability were more frequently found in children with low PTSD symptoms. PTSD symptoms in the mother, living in a family of 3 or more children, and being female were significantly associated with PTSD symptoms in the children.