Car Crashes Create a Heap of Stress
November 8, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Even if kids aren't injured in a car crash, researchers suggest they can still have traumatic stress caused by the incident. This stress is apparent in both children and their parents.
Researchers from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia studied 1,091 car crashes that happened in 15 states and Washington, D.C. Nearly 1,500 children ages 5 and 15 were passengers involved in the crashes.
Results of the study reveal if a child received medical care after the car crash (even without injury), both the child and his or her parents were four-times more likely to suffer serious acute stress symptoms than when no medical attention was needed. Flaura Winston, M.D., Ph.D., from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says, "In this study, we found that, although it's less common, traumatic stress can occur in children and their parents even if a child wasn't injured in the crash."
About one in six children with serious injuries showed signs of acute stress, while one in four of their parents did. When there were only minor injuries, one in 20 kids showed acute stress signs along with one in six of their parents.
Chiara Baxt, Ph.D., from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says, "For a family, a crash is like their own personal disaster. We found that the disruption a crash causes in the lives of parents was a predictor that the parents especially could suffer from symptoms of traumatic stress."
Acute stress symptoms include frequent or upsetting thoughts or memories of the crash, avoidance of reminders of the crash -- like refusing to get into a car, jumpiness, and emotional detachment. Dr. Winston says, "The majority of these children, and their parents, are not diagnosed properly and do not receive the psychological care they need to recover."
Dr. Winston's advice to car crash survivors is to ask for help. She says, "If you are worried about your child or yourself, talk to someone such as your family doctor."
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, 2005;159:1074-1079
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