After the Injury

Description:

After the Injury is a website designed for parents of children who have experienced traumatic injury. The site provides information and guidance for parents about emotional recovery from injury, injury care and parents’ role in helping their child with all aspects of recovery. The aim is to prevent persistent traumatic stress in injured children through the provision of injury information and psychoeducation to parents about how they can help their children in the early months after the injury. After the Injury includes interactive features, quick tips, quizzes, videos and the opportunity for parents to rate specific child reactions and receive tailored tips and a printable care plan. The site also includes links to many other relevant resources. All sections of the site can be accessed in any order.

Service URL:

http://aftertheinjury.org

Agency Responsible:

The Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Educational (primarily educational material or psychoeducation).

Course Length:

Short (less than 1 module or equivalent). No set course

Support Option:

Automated only.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Post traumatic stress disorder.

Target Audience:

Adult. Parents of children with traumatic injury

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: No registration required.

Contact Details:

aftertheinjury@email.chop.edu

Research evidence

Research Trials:

1

Research RCTs:

0

Outcome Summary:

In an uncontrolled repeated-measures trial, use of the After the Injury site resulted in an increase in knowledge and recognition among parents in open-ended questioning of specific emotional reactions to watch for. Knowledge of what parents can do to help their child also improved after using the site, and parents demonstrated an increased understanding of when to seek further (professional) assistance. Parents' closed-ended question responses did not show a change from pre- to post-intervention, perhaps due to a ceiling effect as parents showed high levels of knowledge about potential psychological reactions to injury at baseline. The results provide some preliminary evidence that parents can achieve more detailed and practical knowledge about how to monitor and respond to specific traumatic stress reactions based on the guidance provided by After the Injury, but further research with a no-intervention control group would provide for better analysis of the efficacy of the site.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

Read more about Beacon's Smiley Rating System.

Research paper citations

1. Marsac, M. L., Kassam-Adams, N., Hildenbrand, A. K., Kohser, K. L., Winston, F. K. (2011). After the injury: initial evaluation of a web-based intervention for parents of injured children. Health Education Research, 26(1), 1-12.