Citation

Passard A, Aresu D, Mascarel P, Atwan NA, Gokalsing E. Neuropsychiatr. Enfance Adolesc. 2023; 71(2): 73-79.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.neurenf.2023.01.003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: A lack of experience for early post-traumatic interventions for children was observed after the terrorist attacks perpetrated in 2015 and 2016 in France. The clinicians involved in the medico psychological emergency units (CUMP) had to quickly adapt their interventions to help children and their families seeking assistance. This article aims to examine how the Post-Immediate Psychotherapeutic Intervention (IPPI) based on the debriefing technique commonly used by the CUMP could be adapted to this age. Patients and method: This article describes a modified form of the IPPI interview for children based on the use of pictorial representations, i.e., the Metaphoric and Associative Cards, "OH-Cards". A clinical vignette illustrates the different steps of this intervention such as those provided to sibling 6-year-old twins in the context of a post-immediate CUMP intervention after a drowning.

RESULTS: Adding the pictorial cards to IPPI interview techniques facilitated the children's verbalization, the narrative reports of the traumatic experience with the professional, and globally enhanced the symbolization process.

DISCUSSION: This developmental-sensitive adaptation of the commonly used debriefing approach illustrates the positive synergy between the professional cultures of the clinicians from the CUMP and the child psychiatrists.

CONCLUSION: Children-specific adaptations of the IPPI based on symbolic mediators, such as pictorial cards, should be considered as a reference tool at this age in the training of CUMP professionals.

Language: en

Keywords

Child; Debriefing; Medico psychological Emergency Unit; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Therapeutic mediator