Abstract
This study examined the rate of occurrence and risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of 32 children following an acute injury requiring medical treatment. Over one third of the sample met criteria for PTSD, and several in-hospital variables including age, gender, acute stress reactions with or without dissociative symptoms, prior medical experiences, pain rating, and immediate parental reactions were associated with PTSD at least 4 weeks later. Further research is required to clarify the understanding of risk and protective factors following injury to assist in testing and generating screening measures for PTSD and ultimately leading to appropriately matched trauma services based on identified risk.