Parental Responses to Child Trauma: the Role of Trauma Specific Behaviours and Parenting Style in Facilitating Child Psychological Adjustment

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A significant proportion of children in the UK are exposed to potentially traumatic experiences (e.g., accidents, assaults) which are associated with the development of psychological difficulties. In particular, children are vulnerable to developing post-traumatic stress symptoms following trauma, including vivid and intrusive memories of the event, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, and broader problems with anxiety and mood. Such problems affect a significant proportion of UK children. For example, approximately 80,000 children are involved in motor vehicle accidents in the UK annually, and research suggests that approximately one third of these children will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a consequence. The proposed research will help us to understand what factors influence child psychological adjustment following trauma, and particularly why some children and not others develop the symptoms of PTSD. To date, research has focused on understanding individual characteristics that might contribute to child difficulties following trauma. Some important factors have been identified, including a particularly negative interpretation of the trauma (e.g., as a sign that the world is extremely dangerous, or the self is highly vulnerable), a disjointed and incomplete memory for the event, and problematic ways of coping (e.g., by suppressing thoughts of the trauma, or dwelling on it). In addition to these individual factors, the way in which children are supported by their parents is likely to be important, but has not been systematically studied. This omission is significant, as for most children their families are their main source of support following trauma. At present, there isn't sufficient evidence available to inform how parents can best support their child following a traumatic experience. The proposed research will examine parental factors that influence child psychological adjustment following trauma. Based on the existing literature on relevant child processes, the following behaviours will be investigated: parental engagement in co-recollection of the trauma with the child; the parent's own interpretations of the trauma, and the extent to which they communicate these to the child; and parental support for or discouragement of problematic coping styles in the child. More generally, the degree to which parenting is characterised by a restrictive style that limits child autonomy will be examined, as this has previously been linked problems with anxiety in children.We will conduct a detailed study of children and their parents, which tracks their psychological adjustment in the months following trauma. Children aged 7-12 years will be recruited through hospital accident and emergency departments, and will complete assessments with their parents immediately following the trauma, and 3- and 6-months later. Detailed assessments of how parents interact with children following trauma will be completed, and child PTSD symptoms will be assessed. In this way, we will identify parental behaviours that contribute to later child adjustment, even once initial child reactions to the trauma are taken into account. In addition to this intensive, observational study we will also conducted a larger study based on parent and child questionnaires, which will provide additional evidence regarding key parental processes, and will also allow specific links between parental and child processes to be identified. Based on the preceding studies, we will develop preliminary guidance for parents on how to support their child following trauma