Early Identification of Children at Risk for Developing Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Following Traumatic Injuries

ABSTRACT Child injuries are the largest cause of morbidity and mortality among youth in the United States. However, there has been less research attention focused on psychiatric sequelae of serious childhood injuries than on other types of childhood trauma. This article reviews psychiatric sequelae following childhood injury and examines the risk and resilience factors relative to developing posttraumatic stress symptoms following a traumatic injury. Practical applications of risk and protective factors are illustrated through a hospital consultation regarding a 12-year-old girl who sustained an injury following an accident with a lawn mower. Diagnostic and clinical implications regarding psychiatric sequelae following childhood injuries are discussed.