So You've Been in an Accident

Description:

"So You've Been in an Accident" is a website designed for children who have been in an accident. The site provides information aimed at normalising and relieving reactions to traumatic experiences. There are separate sections for children aged ≤ 10 years ("kids") and those aged ≥ 11 years ("adolescents"). The main home page orients the user to the site and provides links to the "kids" and "adolescents" sections. Within each section there are links to the seven subsections: "Feelings", "Heroes", "Problem Solving", "Identifying Personal Strengths", "Reaching Out", "Growing and Learning" and "Talk to Yourself". Each module contains information aimed at normalizing feelings and promoting recovery, with practical tools based on cognitive behavioural and resiliency strategies and examples to encourage learning and implementation. Strategies include: relaxation, coping statements, problem solving, pleasant events, identifying personal strengths, and reflection on the event. The subsections can be accessed in any order.

Service URL:

https://kidsaccident.psy.uq.edu.au

Agency Responsible:

University of Queensland.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Psychological – CBT. Cognitive and resiliency theory

Course Length:

Moderate (2-5 modules).

Support Option:

No support.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Post traumatic stress disorder.

Target Audiences:

Child and Adolescent. 7 to 16 years old

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: No registration required.

Contact Details:

j.kenardy@uq.edu.au

Research evidence

Research Trials:

1

Research RCTs:

1

Outcome Summary:

The efficacy of the "So You've Been in an Accident" site has been tested in one randomised controlled trial, which found that children who used the website (intervention group) reported improved anxiety over a 5 month period (d= -.34), while children in the control group (no access to the website) experienced worsening of anxiety symptoms. Children in the intervention group also experienced small but non-significant reductions in secondary outcomes of post-traumatic stress, depression, anger and dissociation symptoms, while those in the control group experienced increased symptoms. These results provide some evidence that the site may be effective in reducing child anxiety following trauma. A subsequent analysis of the same study found that the treatment efficacy was dependent on the initial level of distress following the accident, with only children who experienced high levels of distress gaining significant benefit from treatment.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

Read more about Beacon's Smiley Rating System.

Research paper citations

Cox, C. M., Kenardy, J. A., Hendrikz, J. K. (2010). A randomized controlled trial of a web-based early intervention for children and their parents following unintentional injury. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35(6), 581-592.

Kenardy, J. A., Cox, C. M., & Brown, F. L. (2015). A Web‐Based Early Intervention Can Prevent Long‐Term PTS Reactions in Children With High Initial Distress Following Accidental Injury. Journal of traumatic stress, 28(4), 366-369.