Helping young children and their caregivers recover emotionally after serious injury
Improving Quality of Life and Behavioral Health Service Access for Caregivers and Young Children after Pediatric Traumatic Injury
This project offers a caregiver-focused program to help children under 12 and their families heal emotionally and get connected to mental health services after a traumatic injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11232317 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child is hospitalized after a serious injury, the team will offer screening and support focused on caregivers and young children (0–12 years) to address emotional and behavioral needs. You may be connected with CAARE, a caregiver-centered program that aims to reduce caregiver distress, link families to behavioral health services, and support your child's recovery. Researchers will follow families over time, collecting symptom and quality-of-life measures and feedback about how easy the program is to use. They will work with pediatric trauma centers to shape a model that can be offered routinely to families like yours.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Families with a child (roughly birth through 12 years) who has experienced a traumatic injury requiring hospitalization and whose caregiver can participate in follow-up support are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children with only minor injuries not requiring hospital care, or families who cannot engage with follow-up programs, may not receive benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower PTSD and depression symptoms and improve quality of life and recovery for injured children and their caregivers.
How similar studies have performed: Early pilot work from the investigators' NICHD K23 (CAARE) suggests feasibility, but large-scale effectiveness and broad implementation in trauma centers remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ridings, Leigh E. — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Ridings, Leigh E.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.