To evaluate the effectiveness of the Reducing Stress After Trauma (ReSeT) program in reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms in pediatric patients hospitalized for physical injury, and to assess its feasibility and acceptability.
Key Findings:
At 10 weeks, adjusted mean symptom scores were 10.5 in the ReSeT group and 14.7 in the usual-care group, indicating a significant reduction in symptoms.
At 6 months, adjusted mean scores were 8.0 in the ReSeT group and 13.5 in the usual-care group, suggesting sustained improvement.
81% of patients in the ReSeT group completed all sessions, with an average therapist contact time of approximately 5 hours, highlighting the program's feasibility.
Interpretation:
The ReSeT program significantly reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms in pediatric patients compared to usual care, with effects maintained at 6 months.
Limitations:
The trial excluded patients with severe conditions and those without broadband internet access, limiting generalizability and applicability to broader populations.
Usual care varied widely across centers, complicating treatment effect interpretation and making it difficult to establish a standardized comparison.
Subgroup analyses indicated larger treatment effects in male patients, but confidence in these findings is limited due to the study's design and sample size.
Conclusion:
The ReSeT program shows promise as an effective intervention for pediatric trauma stress, but further research is needed to address limitations, enhance generalizability, and explore the differential effects based on sex.
