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Improving Behavioral Health for Caregivers and Children After Pediatric Injury

Sponsored by Medical University of South Carolina

About this study

Pediatric traumatic injury (PTI) is a public health priority, with more than 125,000 children experiencing injuries that require hospitalization each year. These children, and their caregivers, are affected in many ways that may affect quality of life, emotional and behavioral health, physical recovery, family roles and routines, and academic functioning; yet US trauma centers do not adequately address these outcomes and a scalable national model of care for these families is needed. This proposal builds on prior research from the investigative team to test a technology-assisted, stepped care behavioral health intervention for children (\<12 years) and their caregivers after PTI, CAARE (Caregivers' Aid to Accelerate Recovery after pediatric Emergencies), via a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation trial with 348 families randomly assigned to CAARE (n=174) vs. guideline-adherent enhanced usual care (EUC) (n=174).

Annually, \~8 million children receive emergency care due to injury, over 125,000 of whom experience pediatric traumatic injury (PTI) - injuries so severe that they are hospitalized, typically after motor vehicle crashes, falls, animal attacks, gunshot wounds, or being struck by a car or other object. Roughly 1 in 3 develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or depression after PTI - risk factors for poor physical recovery, social and school-related impairment, and disruption of roles and routines. Moreover, \>50% of caregivers of children with PTI are highly distressed in the acute stages of recovery and themselves have high risk of PTSD and depression. This is concerning because caregivers' mental health is highly correlated with children's outcomes. Interventions that improve f…

Where this study is enrolling (4)

Who can participate

Inclusion criteria

  • ✓Caregivers (≥18 years old) of children hospitalized with pediatric injury
  • ✓Children hospitalized with pediatric injury \<12 years old
  • ✓Screen positive on the ASC-Kids (aged 6-11 years) or PDI Caregiver measure of acute distress.

Exclusion criteria

  • ✕A caregiver whose primary language is not English or Spanish
  • ✕A cognitive challenge (caregiver or child) that would impair ability to consent
  • ✕Presence of a self-afflicted injury
  • ✕Presence of injuries resulting from caregiver abuse or neglect (these patients will follow an alternative treatment path).

Only the research team can confirm whether you qualify. The intake questionnaire is the best way to find out.

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Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov.