Educational Psychologist Screening Children for PTSD to Determine Causes - July 28th, 2010

Dr. Kevin Stark

As part of a research study, educational psychologist Kevin Stark is performing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening on severely injured children who go through Dell Children’s Medical Center trauma center.

Stark is a professor in the College of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin.

The study’s aim is to develop a way of predicting which children are likely to suffer PTSD after serious accidents, medical problems and wrecks. Children between the ages of seven and 17 who are screened and show mental or emotional stress also are being offered free counseling.

Youth who answer “yes,” during screening, when asked if they were alone at the time of the trauma, if they suffered a lot of pain and if they thought they were going to die seem to be at higher risk for PTSD, according to experts.

Stark stated that once he and his colleague determine how to predict PTSD in children, effective interventions can be developed. Prevention is particularly important for PTSD because once it develops it is a condition which lasts for life.

Children with severe brain injuries are not being included in the study.

Stark, who is director of psychological services for the Texas Child Study center, and co-researcher Karla Lawson, a research scientists at Dell Children’s trauma center, hope to enroll 250 participants for the study.

—Kay Randall, University Communications, 512-232-3910