Children and Trauma
After exposure to a traumatic life event, short-term distress is almost universal
Children and adolescents vary in the nature of their responses to traumatic experiences. The reactions of individual youths may be influenced by their developmental level, ethnicity/cultural factors, previous trauma exposure, available resources, and preexisting child and family problems. However, nearly all children and adolescents express some kind of distress or behavioral change in the acute phase of recovery from a traumatic event. Not all short-term responses to trauma are problematic, and some behavior changes may reflect adaptive attempts to cope with a difficult or challenging experience.
Many of the reactions displayed by children and adolescents who have been exposed to traumatic events are similar or identical to behaviors that mental health professionals see on a daily basis in their practice.
These include:
the development of new fears
separation anxiety (particularly in young children)
sleep disturbance, nightmares
sadness
loss of interest in normal activities
reduced concentration
decline in schoolwork
anger
somatic complaints
irritability
Functioning in the family, peer group, or school may be impaired as a result of such symptoms. Therefore, when working with children who may display these types of reactions, the clinician must make a careful assessment of possible exposure to trauma.
Over time, most children return to their prior levels of functioning
The majority of children and adolescents manifest resilience in the aftermath of traumatic experiences. This is especially true of single-incident exposure. Youths who have been exposed to multiple traumas, have a past history of anxiety problems, or have experienced family adversity are likely to be at higher risk of showing symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Despite exposure to traumatic events and experiencing short-term distress, most children and adolescents return to their previous levels of functioning after several weeks or months and resume a normal developmental course. This resilience typically results in a reduction in both psychological distress and physiological arousal.
Research has provided evidence about predictors of trauma recovery, although there are no perfect predictors. Recovery can be impeded by individual and family factors, the severity of ongoing life stressors, community stress, prior trauma exposure, psychiatric comorbidities, and ongoing safety concerns. Also, poverty and racism can make this recovery much more difficult. Caretakers are affected by children’s exposure to trauma, and their responses affect children’s reactions to trauma. On a positive note, individual, family, cultural, and community strengths can facilitate recovery and promote resilience. Social, community and governmental support networks are critical for recovery, particularly when an entire community is affected, as when natural disasters occur.
How Mental Health Professionals Can Help
Mental health professionals have an important role in facilitating the recovery of children, adolescents, and families when traumatic events occur. Opportunities to help can come about by working with first responders and community organizations that serve families with children, by working with existing clients who experience trauma, and by reaching out to help children and families affected by trauma in their community. Psychologists and other mental health providers can also register with the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Disaster Response Network or volunteer their services through their local chapter of the American Red Cross.
In addition, mental health providers can obtain training in developmentally and culturally appropriate evidence-based therapies for child trauma to effectively treat those children who do not recover on their own. The opportunity to help is not limited to those who specialize in working with children. Mental health professionals who treat adults have the opportunity to identify and provide support to the potentially trauma-affected offspring of the adults. Mental health professionals can provide consultation to other professionals (in schools, health care settings, spiritual settings, and other service systems) about responding to trauma-exposed children, adolescents, and families. With special training and preparation, mental health professionals can participate in disaster or emergency response teams in their community.
Support the child, family, and community
By drawing on the existing strengths and resources of the child, family, and community, mental health professionals can help to reduce stress and foster the use of existing adaptive coping strategies by children and parents. Specific help in solving problems may be useful for children and their families in order to reduce stress. Traumatic events often lead to other stressors, or secondary traumas, such as police investigations; court proceedings; funerals; disruption of and displacement from school and other routines; housing and custody issues; loss of possessions, friends, and pets; and financial stress. Mental health professionals can help families navigate these real-life challenges and serve as advocates for social justice.
In times of extreme stress, individuals often fail to use their tried-and-true ways of coping. Thus, helping children and families figure out how to apply their existing skills to a new and unfamiliar type of event is in order. Other times, individuals need to build new skills to be able to handle a traumatic event. Training in coping skills and problem-solving is often a part of evidence-based treatment. Mental health professionals must be sensitive to providing training that is consistent with children’s developmental level and the family’s cultural/ethnic background. American Psychological Association
We offer family services as well as referral services for support beyond our scope of services. Contact us at info@inpowermeant.org or call 310-702-7592