Luba and Stefan were extremely worried. Several weeks ago, during an outing with her nursery school, four-year-old Megan had been involved in a fatal traffic accident. A tractor-trailer had broadsided the van in which Megan was traveling and a teacher and child had been killed.

Although Megan had escaped physical injury and had seemed to be relatively unaffected at the time, the youngster had lately begun to develop alarming symptoms. Not only did Megan seem increasingly withdrawn and fearful, she was refusing to go anywhere without her parents. The girl had also begun to experience recurring nightmares.

When Luba and Stefan consulted their family doctor, they learned that their daughter was exhibiting classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Knowing that the condition can have significant and lasting negative consequences, the physician advised the parents to seek professional counseling for Megan.

When a child witnesses a horrific event such as an act of extreme violence or is the victim of a natural disaster or catastrophe, his normal coping mechanisms break down to the point where he feels utterly helpless. In the short term, the experience can leave a child feeling fearful, reckless or unusually irritable. Vivid memories of the traumatic episode can result in nightmares and affect a child's ability to concentrate during the day.

In the long term, a traumatic incident can leave a child feeling hopeless and pessimistic. In the most severe cases, PTSD can also engender a complete personality change in young people.

There is no cure for PTSD. However, as Luba, Stefan and Megan discovered in the months following their initial trip to the family doctor, a trained therapist can do much to help a child deal with the immediate effects of trauma. Treatment, during which a child is often encouraged to express feelings through talking, dramatization and writing, can also do much to offset serious and lasting psychic damage associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.

© Algoma Family Services