(1) difficulty falling or staying asleep.
(2) irritability or outbursts of anger.
(3) difficulty concentrating.
(4) hypervigilance.
(5) exaggerated startle response.
Duration of the disturbance in more than three months.
The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Long Term Goals.
1. Reduce the negative impact that the traumatic event has had on many aspects of life and return to pre-trauma level of functioning.
2. Develop and implement effective coping skills to carry out normal responsibilities.
3. Recall the traumatic event without becoming overwhelmed with negative emotions.
4. Terminate destructive behaviors that serve to maintain escape and denial while .
implementing behaviors that promote healing, acceptance of the past events, and .
responsible living.
Short Term Goals and Interventions.
1. Establish a trusting relationship with child, one in which the child feels safe and can .
openly discuss feelings.
.
*Actively build the level of trust with the child in individual sessions through .
Rogerian principles. (Rogers, 1951).
2. Assess for the presence and strength of PTSD.
* Administer the Mental Status Examination. Make necessary modifications for .
child's age.
* Administer the PTSD Symptom Scale or Impact of Events Scale.
* Administer Children's Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 1992) or Beck .
Depression Inventory-II (Beck, 1996).
* Use a trauma assessment form, such as Children's Impact of Traumatic Events .
or Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children (Friedman, 2000).
* Give feedback to the child and child's family about the assessment results and .
the meaning of symptoms.
3. Encourage child to describe the traumatic event in as much detail as possible.
* Gently encourage child to explore the recollection of the facts of the traumatic .