Background

Almost on a weekly basis, we are confronted by horrific images of children enduring

inconceivable traumas, such as the frequent school shootings in the US, the reports of

abducted girls being held captive for years, and the many children exposed to war in the

Middle East. On those days, we hug our children a little closer. We feel grateful for what

we have, and mourn what others have lost. What we do not think about are the countless

children who experience trauma just as distressing, but far too common to make headlines.

Abstract
Background
Childbirth can be a traumatic experience occasionally leading to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to assess childbirth-related PTSD risk-factors using an etiological model inspired by the transactional model of stress and coping.
Methods
348 out of 505 (70%) Dutch women completed questionnaires during pregnancy, one week postpartum, and three months postpartum. A further 284 (56%) also completed questionnaires ten months postpartum. The model was tested using path analysis.
Results

Engagement in child and family mental health treatment has critically important clinical, implementation, and policy implications for efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of care. This article describes a review of the existing literature on one understudied element of engagement, parent participation. Twenty-three published articles were identified.

To prevent adverse long-term effects, children who suffer from posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) need treatment. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an established treatment for children with PTSS. However, alternatives are important for non-responders or if TF-CBT trained therapists are unavailable. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a promising treatment for which sound comparative evidence is lacking. The current randomized controlled trial investigates the effectiveness and efficiency of both treatments.