Car seats, booster seats, and lap belts significantly contribute to reducing the risk of serious injury to your child in an accident. However, when a child has been injured in a serious car accident or any other type of accident, he or she may be at risk of developing anxiety-related disorders.
These anxiety-related disorders can also include post-traumatic stress disorder. This disorder is characterized by mood swings, memory problems, lack of concentration, lack of attention, lack of interest in daily activities, and a number of other symptoms that can seriously affect a person’s ability to live a normal life.
Recently, researchers developed a new test that can be used to determine whether a child is at risk for post trauma-related disorders after injury. The test is administered just a few days after the child has been injured, and using the child’s performance on the test, experts can determine whether the child is at risk for trauma-related disorders, and requires immediate intervention. The child can then be referred to a psychologist for appropriate treatment.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is one example of an anxiety-related disorder that can develop after a child has been through a devastating accident, like a serious car accident. In such cases, the child may suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, and may relive the traumatic experience over and over again. If left untreated, the condition can actually cause long-term emotional and mental problems in the child. Therefore, it is important to identify signs of these disorders in the child, and work to prevent escalation of the symptoms as quickly as possible.
Doug Horn is a Kansas City car accident lawyer, dedicated to the representation of victims of car accidents across Missouri. A substantial portion of his practice involves the representation of injured children.
