Identifying Toddlers and Their Parents Who Are Suffering From Posttraumatic Distress Following War and Terror

Identifying Posttraumatic Distress Among Toddlers and Their Parents Following Ongoing Exposure to Terrorism or War

The project is aimed at identifying children who are suffering from posttraumatic distress and increasing capacity to provide treatment for them and for their caretakers. The project will be implemented in 3 cities in Israel, Haifa, Kiryat Shmona and Sderot, exposed to terrorism and the effects of war

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Detailed Description

A. Screening of young children and implementation of treatment The screening will consist of self-report questionnaires and a clinical interview with parents, conducted by trained professional about exposure to traumatic events and resulting post-traumatic specific symptoms among the toddlers and their parents. The screening procedure is bases on the accumulated clinical experience and empirical data gained in the ongoing similar project in Sderot. The level of cooperation by parents and teachers in the ongoing project has been exceptionally high, indicating a tremendous need for knowledge, skills and support. Based upon our previous experience, it is anticipated well-baby clinic nurses will also be extremely interested participation.

B. Workshops for parents, teachers, nurses The knowledge and skills of preschool teachers and nurses working in all our projects sights (well baby clinics, day care centers and kindergartens) as well as parents will be increased by providing training regarding the impact of war related trauma on preschool children. Workshops will better equip teachers, nurses and parents with knowledge about the emotional impact of trauma on young children and will increase the skills to help preschool children contain emotional distress as well as to help them in coping with the emotional consequences of trauma exposure.

C. Treatment Interventions All toddlers identified with posttraumatic distress will receive dyadic treatment focused on dealing with posttrauma. Dyadic treatment involving parents and children is aimed at increasing the attunement of parents to their toddlers and their needs in times of crises. Local practitioners in Sderot implementing this cutting-edge treatment received specialized training adjusted to the context of terror and trauma by a child trauma specialist from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

D. Evaluation of treatment Evaluation of treatment efficacy (dyadic treatment) will be assessed by pre and post interviews that will be conducted by trained professionals with all parents participating in the dyadic treatments in each of the three cities

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 500

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Jerusalem, Israel
    • Isreal Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 1 year to 6 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Families with children between the age 1-6 years

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Families with children between the age 1-6 years.
• Families living in Sderot, Kyriat Shmona and Haifa

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe developmental problems

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
PTSD and behavioral and emotional problems	April 2007- December 2008

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Maternal depression and PTSD	Aprol 2007- December 2008

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Maternal flexibility	April 2008- December 2008

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Herzog Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ruth Pat-Horenczyk, Ph.d, Isreal Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma; Principal Investigator: Ruth Pat-Horenczyk, Ph.D, The Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 1, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2008
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 13, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 15, 2008
• First Posted (Estimate): January 25, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): September 4, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 3, 2013
• Last Verified: September 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: PTSD; DYADIC TREATMENT; WAR AND TERROR; Posttraumatic symptoms among toddlers
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Other Study ID Numbers: Rpat2CTIL