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Post-Traumatic Stress as a Psychological Reaction to Children's Mild Head Injuries

David Jackson

Background

One of the most frequent pediatric emergencies is head trauma. The psychological repercussions of moderate head injuries are frequently disregarded, despite the fact that the psychological impacts of severe brain injuries are thoroughly researched. Mild head injuries include those with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 to 15, headache, vomiting, a momentary loss of consciousness, temporary amnesia, and no focal neurological indications. The purpose of this study is to assess the early post-traumatic stress of children with modest brain injuries and their parents' pertinent perceptions.

Methods:

In this prospective cross-sectional study, parents and a cohort of kids with minor head injuries are included. The Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire (CTSQ), which was created by the kids, and the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-13), which was created by the parents, were both used. Both questionnaires are trustworthy and commonly used. While the second is a weighted self-completed detecting instrument for the measurement of post-traumatic stress in children and adolescents, with a detailed evaluation of their reactions to the traumatic incident, the first exhibits excellent predictive ability in children with a risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. One week and one month following the upsetting occurrence, the individuals provided feedback.

Discussion

174 parents and 175 kids between the ages of 6 and 14 took part in the study. After one week, 33.7% of children had stress diagnosed, and 9.9% had it after one month. 19.0% and 3.9% of parental replies indicated that their kids might be stressed. These results demonstrated that minor head injuries are not always harmless. They are frequently undervalued by their parents and may cause the kids to experience psychological stress in the initial stages of the post-traumatic period.

Conclusion

Mild head traumas may have an impact on children's mental health. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of the significance of this often-overlooked type of injury's psychological impact. They should be knowledgeable about the psychological effects of trauma, be alert to the possibility, swiftly inform the parents, and offer psychological support in addition to medical care. To reduce the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder in the future, support and follow-up are required. The results of this study only applied to a small group in terms of numbers, ages, and survey duration; therefore, more in-depth research is required. Furthermore, many kids with minor head injuries choose to remain at home and go unreported rather than visiting the emergency room.