Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents with motor vehicle-related injuries.

Issues And Purpose: Motor vehicle crashes account for the greatest number of childhood injuries, but there has been little study of the psychological responses.

Design And Methods: This longitudinal, descriptive study included 143 children 7 to 15 years of age who experienced a motor vehicle-related injury. Parents/guardians completed the Child Behavior Checklist Behavioral Problem Scale. Each child and parent completed the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) section of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents at 2 and 6 months postinjury.

Results: Twenty-two percent of the children met criteria for PTSD. There were no associations for presence or absence of PTSD with age, gender, race, injury, or cause of injury.

Practice Implications: Children who are injured in motor vehicle crashes are at risk for PTSD. Anticipatory guidance about behavioral distress symptoms should be provided to parents of children who experience motor vehicle related injuries.