Randomized Controlled Trial of a Psychoeducational Video Intervention for Traumatic Injury Survivors

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Psychoeducational Video Intervention for Traumatic Injury Survivors

Approximately two million Americans are hospitalized for a physical injury each year. A substantial proportion, anywhere from 20% to 30%, goes on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Increasingly, psychoeducation is being routinely delivered during the aftermath of a trauma. Unlike other mental disorders, posttraumatic stress reactions can be linked to a specific point in time (i.e., traumatic event). This timing may be advantageous for providing psychoeducation immediately after a trauma as a cost-efficient prevention intervention. Psychoeducation often includes providing information about common posttraumatic stress reactions and sources of assistance. The underlying premise is that psychoeducation can help trauma survivors to better understand and normalize common posttraumatic stress reactions, and improve their recognition of when mental health treatment is indicated and how to obtain it.