Post-traumatic stress and health-related quality of life after admission to paediatric intensive care: Longitudinal associations in mother-child dyads.

OBJECTIVE: Elevated post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are commonly experienced in both children and their parent's following admission to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Previous research has demonstrated a conflict in the directionality between PTSS and HRQoL in children and their parents. Our study sought to explore the interconnection and transmission between PTSS and HRQoL in children and their mothers following an admission to the PICU. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal design. SETTING: Two tertiary care PICUs in Brisbane, Australia. PATIENTS: Two hundred eighty-two mother-child dyads of children aged 2-16 years admitted to the PICU for >8 h. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Four waves of dyadic data (n = 282 mother-child dyads) over a 12-month period from the PICU post-traumatic stress study were used. Cross-lagged panel modelling was used to examine the link between maternal-rated PTSS and HRQoL across children and their mothers. Actor-partner interdependence modelling was then used to examine the interconnections between mothers and children over time. In the dyadic model, partner effects were only present from mother to their child (i.e., higher maternal PTSS was predictive of higher child PTSS at subsequent time points). Higher maternal PTSS predicted lower maternal mental HRQoL but not lower child psychosocial HRQoL. Actor effects were also present with lower child psychosocial HRQoL, predicting higher child PTSS at subsequent time points. Findings indicated that a unidirectional transmission process from mother to child may be present after a child's life-threatening illness. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for a long-term negative influence of maternal PTSS on child PTSS in families who have experienced a paediatric critical illness or injury. This highlights the important role of maternal wellbeing in children's mental health outcomes following PICU admission. Further research needs to explore the temporal and dyadic relationships of PTSS and HRQoL.

Australian guidelines for the prevention and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: Updates in the third edition.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the development of the third edition of the National Health and Medical Research Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and Complex posttraumatic stress disorder, highlighting key changes in scope, methodology, format and treatment recommendations from the previous 2013 edition of the Guidelines. METHOD: Systematic review of the international research was undertaken, with GRADE methodology used to assess the certainty of the evidence, and evidence to decision frameworks used to generate recommendations. The Guidelines are presented in an online format using MAGICApp. RESULTS: Key changes since the publication of the 2013 Guidelines include a new conditional recommendation for Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention for children and adolescents with symptoms within the first 3 months of trauma, and a strong recommendation for trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy for the child alone or with a caregiver, for those with diagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder. For adults with posttraumatic stress disorder, strong recommendations are made for specific types of trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy and conditional recommendations are made for five additional psychological interventions. Where medication is indicated for adults with posttraumatic stress disorder, venlafaxine is now conditionally recommended alongside sertraline, paroxetine or fluoxetine. CONCLUSION: These Guidelines, based on systematic review of the international literature, are intended to guide decision making for practitioners, service planners, funders and those seeking treatment for trauma related mental health concerns. For an Australian Guideline, a critical limitation is the absence of research on the treatment of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The new online format of the Australian posttraumatic stress disorder Guidelines means that they can be updated as sufficient new evidence becomes available.

Midazolam exposure in the paediatric intensive care unit predicts acute post-traumatic stress symptoms in children.

BACKGROUND: Clinically significant post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) have been reported in up to a quarter of paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) survivors. Ongoing PTSS negatively impacts children's psychological development and physical recovery. However, few data regarding associations between potentially modifiable PICU treatment factors, such as analgosedatives and invasive procedures, and children's PTSS have been reported. OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the medical treatment factors associated with children's PTSS after PICU discharge. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted in two Australian tertiary referral PICUs. Children aged 2-16 y admitted to the PICU between June 2008 and January 2011 for >8 h and <28 d were eligible for participation. Biometric and clinical data were obtained from medical records. Parents reported their child's PTSS using the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge. Logistic regression was used to assess potential associations between medical treatment and PTSS. RESULTS: A total of 265 children and their parents participated in the study. In the 12-month period following PICU discharge, 24% of children exhibited clinically elevated PTSS. Median risk of death (Paediatric Index of Mortality 2 [PIM2]) score was significantly higher in the PTSS group (0.31 [IQR 0.14-1.09] v 0.67 [IQR 0.20-1.18]; p = 0.014). Intubation and PICU and hospital length of stay were also significantly associated with PTSS at 1 month, as were midazolam, propofol, and morphine. After controlling for gender, reason for admission, and PIM2 score, only midazolam was significantly and independently associated with PTSS and only at 1 month (adjusted odds ration (aOR) 3.63, 95% CI 1.18, 11.12, p = 0.024). No significant relationship was observed between the use of medications and PTSS after 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PTSS were evident in one quarter (24%) of children during the 12 months after PICU discharge. One month after discharge, elevated PTSS were most likely to occur in children who had received midazolam therapy.

Topical Review: Medical Trauma During Early Childhood.

OBJECTIVE: Early childhood is a high-risk period for exposure to traumatic medical events due to injury/illness. It is also one of the most important and vulnerable periods due to rapid development in neurobiological systems, attachment relationships, cognitive and linguistic capacities, and emotion regulation. The aim of this topical review is to evaluate empirical literature on the psychological impact of medical trauma during early childhood (0-6 years) to inform models of clinical care for assessing, preventing, and treating traumatic stress following injury/illness. METHODS: Topical review of empirical and theoretical literature on pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS) during early childhood. RESULTS: There are important developmental factors that influence how infants and young children perceive and respond to medical events. The emerging literature indicates that up to 30% of young children experience PMTS within the first month of an acute illness/injury and between 3% and 10% develop posttraumatic stress disorder. However, significant knowledge gaps remain in our understanding of psychological outcomes for infants and young children, identification of risk-factors and availability of evidence-based interventions for medical trauma following illness. CONCLUSIONS: This topical review on medical trauma during early childhood provides: (a) definitions of key medical trauma terminology, (b) discussion of important developmental considerations, (c) summary of the empirical literature on psychological outcomes, risk factors, and interventions, (d) introduction to a stepped-model-of-care framework to guide clinical practice, and (e) summary of limitations and directions for future research.

Accuracy of delirium assessments in critically ill children: A prospective, observational study during routine care.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study was to explore the accuracy of the Cornell Assessment for Pediatric Delirium (CAP-D), Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (pCAM-ICU), and Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (psCAM-ICU) when implemented in routine care as delirium screening tools, and to assess patient characteristics and clinical variables that may affect their validity. DESIGN: This is a prospective observational study. SETTING: The study was conducted in a 36-bed, mixed paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at an Australian tertiary hospital. PATIENTS: The study included critically ill children developmentally aged 6 months to 17 years, with a PICU length of stay >18 h. INTERVENTIONS: No interventions were provided in the study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients were screened for delirium by their bedside nurse (CAP-D and pCAM-ICU/psCAM-ICU) once daily, for up to 5 d. Delirium status identified using screening instruments was compared with delirium diagnosis using the diagnostic criteria for delirium (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition). In this sample, the CAP-D retained its high sensitivity (91.3%) and good specificity (75.2%), whereas the psCAM-ICU and pCAM-ICU had moderate sensitivity (58.8% and 75.0%, respectively) and excellent specificity (89.8% and 84.9%, respectively). There was moderate agreement between the CAP-D and the psCAM-ICU (κ = 0.52, p < .001) and good agreement between the CAP-D and the pCAM-ICU (κ = 0.80, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Although the CAP-D, psCAM-ICU, and pCAM-ICU all appear promising in their validation studies, when implemented in routine care, their performance can be variable. The CAP-D performed well in routine clinical practice, but follow-up diagnosis is required to confirm delirium. The psCAM-ICU and pCAM-ICU both provide valuable, objective assessments of delirium in critically ill children; however, further evaluation of their implementation in routine clinical practice is needed.

Preventive intervention for trauma reactions in young injured children: results of a multi-site randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Young children are at particular risk for injury. Ten per cent to twenty-five per cent develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, no empirically supported preventive interventions exist. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy of a standardised targeted preventive intervention for PTSD in young injured children. METHODS: Injured children (1-6 years) were enrolled in a multi-site parallel-group superiority prospective randomised controlled trial (RCT) in Australia and Switzerland. Screening for PTSD risk occurred 6-8 days postaccident. Parents of children who screened 'high-risk' were randomised to a 2-session CBT-based intervention or treatment-as-usual (TAU). Primary outcomes were PTSD symptom (PTSS) severity, and secondary outcomes were PTSD diagnosis, functional impairment and behavioural difficulties at 3 and 6 months postinjury using blinded assessments. Trials were registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12614000325606) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02088814). Trial status is complete. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-three children screened 'high-risk' were assigned to intervention (n = 62) or TAU (n = 71). Multilevel intention-to-treat analyses revealed a significant intervention effect on PTSS severity over time (b = 60.06, 95% CI: 21.30-98.56). At 3 months, intervention children (M = 11.02, SD = 10.42, range 0-47) showed an accelerated reduction in PTSS severity scores compared to control children (M = 17.30, SD = 13.94, range 0-52; mean difference -6.97, 95% CI: -14.02 to 0.08, p adj. = .055, d = 0.51). On secondary outcomes, multilevel analyses revealed significant treatment effects for PTSD diagnosis, functional impairment and behavioural difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: This multi-site RCT provides promising preliminary evidence for the efficacy of a targeted preventive intervention for accelerating recovery from PTSS in young injured children. This has important clinical implications for the psychological support provided to young children and parents during the acute period following a single-event trauma.

The Course of Posttraumatic Stress in Children: Examination of Symptom Trajectories and Predictive Factors Following Admission to Pediatric Intensive Care.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated trauma symptom trajectories of children 2-16 years old following admission to pediatric intensive care and identified factors that predicted a child's trauma symptom trajectory. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal design. SETTING: Two tertiary care PICUs in Brisbane, Qld, Australia. PATIENTS: Children 2-16 years old admitted to PICU for longer than 8 hours. MEASUREMENTS MAIN RESULTS: Maternal reported child posttraumatic stress symptoms (n = 272) on the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children were used to assess posttraumatic stress symptoms up to 12 months post admission. Semiparametric group-based trajectory analyses were completed to identify patterns over time. Age, gender, length of stay, premorbid functioning, maternal perceived threat to life, and maternal acute distress were assessed as potential risk factors. Three likely trajectory groups were identified. The majority of children were resilient (83.8%); however, a significant minority experienced chronic symptoms (12.9%) or elevated stress symptoms which resolved quickly (3.3%). After controlling for other variables, maternal report of premorbid internalizing behavior significantly predicted both chronic (odds ratio, 6.3) and recovery (odds ratio, 38.0) trajectories. Maternal acute distress significantly predicted child chronic symptom trajectories (odds ratio, 5.2). CONCLUSIONS: Children with elevated trauma symptoms postintensive care need timely and effective intervention. The majority of children with high levels of acute symptoms will continue to have chronic, ongoing posttraumatic stress symptoms. In addition, acute maternal distress and preexisting internalizing child behavior predict ongoing psychologic distress after discharge from the PICU. Screening in the acute period post-PICU admission may identify children likely to experience ongoing chronic posttraumatic distress symptoms and enable targeted treatment of children at risk. This is the first study to examine symptom trajectories in children following pediatric intensive care admission and includes a sample of very young children.

Parent and Clinician Communication During Paediatric Burn Wound Care: A Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: To thematically describe parent-clinician communication during a child's first burn dressing change following emergency department presentation. DESIGN AND METHODS: An observational study of parent-clinician communication during the first burn dressing change at a tertiary children's hospital. Verbal communication between those present at the dressing change for 87 families, was audio recorded. The recordings were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analysed within NVivo11 qualitative data analysis software using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Three themes, underpinned by parent-clinician rapport-building, were identified. Firstly, knowledge sharing was demonstrated: Clinicians frequently informed the parent about the state of the child's wound, what the procedure will involve, and need for future treatment. Comparatively, parents informed the clinician about their child's temperament and coping since the accident. Secondly, child procedural distress management was discussed: Clinicians and parents had expectations about the likelihood of procedural distress, which was also related to communication about how to prevent and interpret procedural distress (i.e., pain/fear). Finally, parents communicated to clinicians about their own distress, worry and uncertainty, from the accident and wound care. Parents also communicated guilt and blame in relation to injury responsibility. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a description of parent-clinician communication during paediatric burn wound care. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results can assist healthcare professionals to be prepared for a range of conversations with parents during potentially distressing paediatric medical procedures.

Feasibility and acceptability of conducting a partially randomised controlled trial examining interventions to improve psychological health after discharge from the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Interventions to support psychological recovery after critical illness, including information provision via an intensive care unit (ICU) diary or discharge summary, have been widely adopted in some regions, albeit without strong empirical evidence. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability, for patients, family members, and clinicians, of information provision via an ICU diary or discharge summary to support psychological recovery for critical illness survivors. METHODS: This was a pilot, partially randomised patient preference study in a mixed ICU in a tertiary hospital in Australia. Eligible patients were those in the ICU for >24 h and who were able to converse in English. Interventions were ICU diary or discharge summary compared with usual care. Feasibility was assessed throughout the study process, and acceptability assessed 3 and 6 months after hospital discharge, with data analysed descriptively and thematically. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were recruited; 45 completed 3-month follow-up (74%), and 37 (61%), 6-month follow-up. Participants were medical (39%), surgical (30%), and trauma (31%) patients; aged 55 [interquartile range (IQR): 36-67] years; and stayed in the ICU for 7 [IQR: 3-13] days and hospital for 23 [IQR: 14-32] days. Within the partially randomised framework, 34 patients chose their intervention - four chose usual care, 10 ICU diary, and 20 discharge summary. The remaining 27 patients were randomised - nine usual care, 10 ICU diary, and seven discharge summary. The majority (>90%) considered each intervention helpful during recovery; however, a significant proportion of patients reported distress associated with reading the ICU diary (42%) or discharge summary (15%). Clinicians reported they were hesitant to make diary entries. CONCLUSIONS: When given a choice, more patients chose a discharge summary over the ICU diary or usual care. Participants considered both interventions acceptable. Given the reports of distress associated with information provision, clear empirical evidence is required to determine effectiveness, optimal timing, support needed, and for whom they should be used. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12615001079538.

Diagnosing and managing work-related mental health conditions in general practice: new Australian clinical practice guidelines.

INTRODUCTION: In Australia, mental health conditions (MHCs) arising from workplace factors are a leading cause of long term work incapacity and absenteeism. While most patients are treated in general practice, general practitioners report several challenges associated with diagnosing and managing workplace MHCs. This guideline, approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council and endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, is the first internationally to address the clinical complexities associated with diagnosing and managing work-related MHCs in general practice. MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS: Our 11 evidence-based recommendations and 19 consensus-based statements aim to assist GPs with: the assessment of symptoms and diagnosis of a work-related MHC; the early identification of an MHC that develops as a comorbid or secondary condition after an initial workplace injury; determining if an MHC has arisen as a result of work factors; managing a work-related MHC to improve personal recovery or return to work; determining if a patient can work in some capacity; communicating with the patient's workplace; and managing a work-related MHC that is not improving as anticipated. CHANGES IN MANAGEMENT AS RESULT OF THE GUIDELINE: This guideline will enhance care and improve health outcomes by encouraging: the use of appropriate tools to assist the diagnosis and determine the severity of MHCs; consideration of factors that can lead to the development of an MHC after a workplace injury; more comprehensive clinical assessments; the use of existing high quality guidelines to inform the clinical management of MHCs; consideration of a patient's capacity to work; appropriate communication with the workplace; and collaboration with other health professionals.

Multiple session early psychological interventions for the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: The prevention of long-term psychological distress following traumatic events is a major concern. Systematic reviews have suggested that individual psychological debriefing is not an effective intervention at preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Over the past 20 years, other forms of intervention have been developed with the aim of preventing PTSD. OBJECTIVES: To examine the efficacy of psychological interventions aimed at preventing PTSD in individuals exposed to a traumatic event but not identified as experiencing any specific psychological difficulties, in comparison with control conditions (e.g. usual care, waiting list and no treatment) and other psychological interventions. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and ProQuest's Published International Literature On Traumatic Stress (PILOTS) database to 3 March 2018. An earlier search of CENTRAL and the Ovid databases was conducted via the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Controlled Trial Register (CCMD-CTR) (all years to May 2016). We handsearched reference lists of relevant guidelines, systematic reviews and included study reports. Identified studies were shared with key experts in the field.We conducted an update search (15 March 2019) and placed any new trials in the 'awaiting classification' section. These will be incorporated into the next version of this review, as appropriate. SELECTION CRITERIA: We searched for randomised controlled trials of any multiple session (two or more sessions) early psychological intervention or treatment designed to prevent symptoms of PTSD. We excluded single session individual/group psychological interventions. Comparator interventions included waiting list/usual care and active control condition. We included studies of adults who experienced a traumatic event which met the criterion A1 according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) for PTSD. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We entered data into Review Manager 5 software. We analysed categorical outcomes as risk ratios (RRs), and continuous outcomes as mean differences (MD) or standardised mean differences (SMDs), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We pooled data with a fixed-effect meta-analysis, except where there was heterogeneity, in which case we used a random-effects model. Two review authors independently assessed the included studies for risk of bias and discussed any conflicts with a third review author. MAIN RESULTS: This is an update of a previous review.We included 27 studies with 3963 participants. The meta-analysis included 21 studies of 2721 participants. Seventeen studies compared multiple session early psychological intervention versus treatment as usual and four studies compared a multiple session early psychological intervention with active control condition.Low-certainty evidence indicated that multiple session early psychological interventions may be more effective than usual care in reducing PTSD diagnosis at three to six months' follow-up (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.93; I2 = 34%; studies = 5; participants = 758). However, there was no statistically significant difference post-treatment (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.32; I2 = 0%; studies = 5; participants = 556; very low-certainty evidence) or at seven to 12 months (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.20 to 4.49; studies = 1; participants = 132; very low-certainty evidence). Meta-analysis indicated that there was no statistical difference in dropouts compared with usual care (RR 1.34, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.95; I2 = 34%; studies = 11; participants = 1154; low-certainty evidence) .At the primary endpoint of three to six months, low-certainty evidence indicated no statistical difference between groups in reducing severity of PTSD (SMD -0.10, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.02; I2 = 34%; studies = 15; participants = 1921), depression (SMD -0.04, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.10; I2 = 6%; studies = 7; participants = 1009) or anxiety symptoms (SMD -0.05, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.10; I2 = 2%; studies = 6; participants = 945).No studies comparing an intervention and active control reported outcomes for PTSD diagnosis. Low-certainty evidence showed that interventions may be associated with a higher dropout rate than active control condition (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.34; studies = 2; participants = 425). At three to six months, low-certainty evidence indicated no statistical difference between interventions in terms of severity of PTSD symptoms (SMD -0.02, 95% CI -0.31 to 0.26; I2 = 43%; studies = 4; participants = 465), depression (SMD 0.04, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.23; I2 = 0%; studies = 2; participants = 409), anxiety (SMD 0.00, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.19; I2 = 0%; studies = 2; participants = 414) or quality of life (MD -0.03, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.00; studies = 1; participants = 239).None of the included studies reported on adverse events or use of health-related resources. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: While the review found some beneficial effects of multiple session early psychological interventions in the prevention of PTSD, the certainty of the evidence was low due to the high risk of bias in the included trials. The clear practice implication of this is that, at present, multiple session interventions aimed at everyone exposed to traumatic events cannot be recommended. There are a number of ongoing studies, demonstrating that this is a fast moving field of research. Future updates of this review will integrate the results of these new studies.

Evidence-based care in high- and low-risk groups following whiplash injury: a multi-centre inception cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Studies aimed at improving the provision of evidence-based care (EBC) for the management of acute whiplash injuries have been largely successful. However, whether EBC is broadly provided and whether delivery of EBC varies based on risk of non-recovery, is uncertain. Receiving EBC should improve recovery, though this relationship has yet to be established. Further, mitigating the effect of EBC is the relationship with the practitioner, a phenomenon poorly understood in WAD. This study aimed to determine the proportion of individuals with whiplash, at differing baseline risk levels, receiving EBC. This study also aimed to determine whether receiving EBC and the therapeutic relationship were associated with recovery at 3 months post injury. METHODS: Participants with acute whiplash were recruited from public hospital emergency departments, private physiotherapy practices, and State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) databases. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline (demographics, risk of non-recovery) and 3-months (treatment received, risk identification, therapeutic relationship) post injury. Primary health care providers (HCPs) treating these participants also completed questionnaires at 3-months. Recovery was defined as neck disability index ≤4/50 and global perceived effect of ≥4/5. RESULTS: Two-hundred and twenty-eight people with acute whiplash, and 53 primary care practitioners were recruited. The majority of the cohort reported receiving EBC, with correct application of the Canadian C-spine rule (74%), and provision of active treatments (e.g. 89% receiving advice) high. Non-recommended (passive) treatments were also received by a large proportion of the cohort (e.g. 50% receiving massage). The therapeutic relationship was associated with higher odds of recovery, which was potentially clinically significant (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.18-1.62). EBC was not significantly associated with recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Guideline-based knowledge and practice has largely been retained from previous implementation strategies. However, recommendations for routine risk identification and tailored management, and reduction in the provision of passive treatment have not. The therapeutic relationship was identified as one of several important predictors of recovery, suggesting that clinicians must develop rapport and understanding with their patients to improve the likelihood of recovery.

Physiotherapist-delivered stress inoculation training integrated with exercise versus physiotherapy exercise alone for acute whiplash-associated disorder (StressModex): a randomised controlled trial of a combined psychological/physical intervention.

OBJECTIVE: There are few effective treatments for acute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Early symptoms of postinjury stress predict poor recovery. This randomised controlled trial (StressModex) investigated whether physiotherapist-led stress inoculation training integrated with exercise is more effective than exercise alone for people with acute WAD. METHODS: 108 participants (<4 weeks) at risk of poor recovery (moderate pain-related disability and hyperarousal symptoms) were randomly assigned by concealed allocation to either physiotherapist-led stress inoculation training and guideline-based exercise (n=53) or guideline-based exercise alone (n=55). Both interventions comprised 10 sessions over 6 weeks. Participants were assessed at 6 weeks and at 6 and 12 months postrandomisation. Analysis was by intention to treat using linear mixed models. RESULTS: The combined stress inoculation training and exercise intervention was more effective than exercise alone for the primary outcome of pain-related disability at all follow-up points. At 6 weeks, the treatment effect on the 0-100 Neck Disability Index was (mean difference) -10 (95% CI -15.5 to -4.48), at 6 months was -7.8 (95% CI -13.8 to -1.8) and at 12 months was -10.1 (95% CI -16.3 to -4.0). A significant benefit of the stress inoculation and exercise intervention over exercise alone was also found for some secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: A physiotherapist-led intervention of stress inoculation training and exercise resulted in clinically relevant improvements in disability compared with exercise alone-the most commonly recommended treatment for acute WAD. This contributes to the case for physiotherapists to deliver an early psychological intervention to patients with acute WAD who are otherwise at high risk of a poor outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12614001036606.

The lived experience of behaviours of concern: A qualitative study of men with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Behaviours of Concern (BoC) are a debilitating consequence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Whilst perspectives of clinicians, carers and family members on BoC have been previously explored, few qualitative studies have included individuals with TBI. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of BoC in individuals with TBI, their close others and clinicians. METHOD: Eleven males with TBI and BoC were recruited and 25 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted (9 individuals with TBI, 9 close others, 7 clinicians). A six-phase thematic analysis approach was utilised. RESULTS: Frequent and persistent BoC were reported and the key themes identified included the brain injury, control, environment, mood, identity, social relationships, and meaningful participation. Whilst the brain injury contributed to BoC in all cases, the way the other themes manifested and interacted was variable. CONCLUSIONS: This study enriches our understanding of factors associated with BoC. Themes emerging from this study will inform interventions designed to reduce BoC and ultimately maximise quality of life for individuals with TBI and their families.

Impact of Parental Acute Psychological Distress on Young Child Pain-Related Behavior Through Differences in Parenting Behavior During Pediatric Burn Wound Care.

Pediatric burn injuries and subsequent wound care can be painful and distressing for children and their parents. This study tested parenting behavior as a mediator for the relationship between parental acute psychological distress and child behavior during burn wound care. Eighty-seven parents of children (1-6-years-old) self-reported accident-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), pre-procedural anxiety, general anxiety/depression symptoms, and guilt before the first dressing change. Parent-child behavior was observed during the first dressing change. Mediation analyses identified three indirect effects. Parental PTSS predicted more child distress, mediated through parental distress-promoting behavior. Parental guilt predicted more child distress, mediated through parental distress-promoting behavior. Parental general anxiety/depression symptoms predicted less child coping, mediated through less parental coping-promoting behavior. Parents with accident-related psychological distress have difficulty supporting their child through subsequent medical care. Nature of parental symptomology differentially influenced behavior. Increased acute psychological support for parents may reduce young child procedural pain-related distress.

Large-Scale Dissemination of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth Anxiety: Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

BACKGROUND: Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) for child and adolescent anxiety has demonstrated efficacy in randomized controlled trials, but it has not yet been examined when disseminated as a public health intervention. If effective, iCBT programs could be a promising first-step, low-intensity intervention that can be easily accessed by young people. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a publicly available online, self-help iCBT program (BRAVE Self-Help) through exploration of program adherence, satisfaction, and changes in anxiety. METHODS: This study was an open trial involving the analysis of data collected from 4425 children and adolescents aged 7-17 years who presented with elevated anxiety at registration (baseline) for the iCBT program that was delivered through an open-access portal with no professional support. We assessed the program satisfaction via a satisfaction scale and measured adherence via the number of completed sessions. In addition, anxiety severity was assessed via scores on the Children's Anxiety Scale, 8-item (CAS-8) at four time points: baseline, Session 4, Session 7, and Session 10. RESULTS: Participants reported moderate satisfaction with the program and 30% completed three or more sessions. Statistically significant reductions in anxiety were evident across all time points for both children and adolescents. For users who completed six or more sessions, there was an average 4-point improvement in CAS-8 scores (Cohen d=0.87, children; Cohen d=0.81, adolescents), indicating a moderate to large effect size. Among participants who completed nine sessions, 57.7% (94/163) achieved recovery into nonelevated levels of anxiety and 54.6% (89/163) achieved statistically reliable reductions in anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Participant feedback was positive, and the program was acceptable to most young people. Furthermore, significant and meaningful reductions in anxiety symptoms were achieved by many children and adolescents participating in this completely open-access and self-directed iCBT program. Our results suggest that online self-help CBT may offer a feasible and acceptable first step for service delivery to children and adolescents with anxiety.

Patterns and Predictors of Failed and Sustained Return-to-Work in Transport Injury Insurance Claimants.

Purpose To determine the incidence of employed people who try and fail to return-to-work (RTW) following a transport crash. To identify predictors of RTW failure. METHODS: A historical cohort study was conducted in the state of Victoria, Australia. People insured through the state-based compulsory third party transport accident compensation scheme were included. Inclusion criteria included date of crash between 2003 and 2012 (inclusive), age 15-70 years at the time of crash, sustained a non-catastrophic injury and received at least 1 day of income replacement. A matrix was created from an administrative payments dataset that mapped their RTW pattern for each day up to 3 years' post-crash. A gap of 7 days of no payment followed by resumption of a payment was considered a RTW failure and was flagged. These event flags were then entered into a regression analysis to determine the odds of having a failed RTW attempt. RESULTS: 17% of individuals had a RTW fail, with males having 20% lower odds of experiencing RTW failure. Those who were younger, had minor injuries (sprains, strains, contusions, abrasions, non-limb fractures), or were from more advantaged socio-economic group, were less likely to experience a RTW failure. Most likely to experience a RTW failure were individuals with whiplash, dislocations or particularly those admitted to hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the causes and predictors of failed RTW can help insurers, employers and health systems identify at-risk individuals. This can enable earlier and more targeted support and more effective employment outcomes.

Parent-Reported Health-Related Quality of Life in Children With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify which specific aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQL) are affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) injury severity (Severity), time since injury (Time), and the interaction between Severity and Time, in a pediatric sample. It was hypothesized that Severity would decrease HRQL, Time would increase HRQL, and time to recover would be protracted for children with severe TBI. METHODS: This study followed a pediatric sample (n = 182, aged 6-14 years, recruited through three Australian hospitals) who sustained a mild or moderate-severe TBI across 3, 6, 12, and 18 months post-TBI. 12 specific HRQL outcomes were assessed via the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50 questionnaire. RESULTS: Dimensions of HRQL were differentially affected. Children with moderate-severe TBI generally experienced greater initial dysfunction than children with mild TBI; however, this difference disappeared by 18 months post-TBI. CONCLUSIONS: Specific time points where HRQL outcomes may remediate are identified, and clinical recommendations regarding intervention strategies are discussed.

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Web-Based Intervention to Prevent Posttraumatic Stress in Children Following Medical Events.

OBJECTIVE: To assess feasibility and estimate effect size of a self-directed online intervention designed to prevent persistent posttraumatic stress after acute trauma. METHODS: Children aged 8-12 years with a recent acute medical event were randomized to the intervention (N = 36) or a 12-week wait list (N = 36). Posttraumatic stress, health-related quality of life, appraisals, and coping were assessed at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 weeks. RESULTS: Most children used the intervention; half completed it. Medium between-group effect sizes were observed for change in posttraumatic stress severity from baseline to 6 weeks (d = -.68) or 12 weeks (d = -.55). Exploratory analyses suggest greatest impact for at-risk children, and a small effect for intervention initiated after 12 weeks. Analysis of covariance did not indicate statistically significant group differences in 12-week outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot randomized controlled trial provides preliminary evidence that a self-directed online preventive intervention is feasible to deliver, and could have an effect in preventing persistent posttraumatic stress.

Early Maternal Reflective Functioning and Infant Emotional Regulation in a Preterm Infant Sample at 6 Months Corrected Age.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the influence of maternal reflective functioning (RF) on 6-month-old infants' emotional self-regulating abilities in preterm infant-mother dyads. METHODS: 25 preterm (gestational age 28-34.5 weeks) infants' affect, gaze toward mother, and self-soothing behaviors (thumb-sucking and playing with clothing) were measured during the still-face procedure at 6 months corrected age. Maternal RF was measured at 7-15 days post-delivery using the Parent Development Interview. RESULTS: Infants with high RF mothers showed the most negative affect during the still-face episode (M = 21.33s, SE = 5.44), whereas infants with low RF mothers showed the most negative affect in the reunion episode (M = 18.14s, SE = 3.69). Infants with high RF mothers showed significantly more self-soothing behaviors when distressed (Ms > 14.5s) than infants with low RF mothers (Ms < 1s), p's < .01. CONCLUSION: Maternal RF was associated with infants' self-regulating behavior, providing preliminary evidence for the regulatory role of maternal RF in preterm infants' emotion regulation capacity.