Naturalistic Observations of Parent-Child Interactions Following Paediatric Injury

Using a smart phone app called the Electronically Activated Recorder (or the “EAR”), 71 families had been audio-recorded at home following a child’s serious injury. Families talked about the injury in around 10% of their conversations after discharge from hospital, and this “injury talk” tended to be more positive in tone than other conversations, and was linked to fewer emotional problems for children 3 months later. Mothers were also the most common conversation partner for children. These findings were further illustrated by four case reports and sixty-nine psychologists provided their views on using the EAR in psychological therapy with families.