Virginia Tech: Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Effects of Fire-Related Psychological Injury on Children, Adolescents & Parents:
Implications for Prevention Interventions
By: Dr. Russell T. Jones, PhD., Professor of Psychology
BSTTWTranslationsDr. Russell Jones, PhD. has contacted BSTTW and asked us to review his study in order to inform all BSTTW Members and the burn survivor community. After a full review of the study BSTTW is proud to publicly announce the study
Effects of Fire-Related Psychological Injury on Children, Adolescents & Parents: Implications for Prevention Interventions.
Dr. Russell T. Jones. PhD. is a Professor of Psychology at Virginia Tech University and a licensed Clinical Psychologist. He realizes that a burn-related injury is often traumatic and frightening. As a result, it often takes a considerable period of time for one to feel a sense of security and safety afterward. It is precisely because of the psychological consequences of a fire-related injury that he and his research team work to help children and teenagers who have been burned to understand and cope with the experience.
Dr. Jones and his research team are currently doing a study (funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency - FEMA) to look at the impact of fire-related injury experienced by children and teenagers. They hope to learn how these unfortunate events effect children and their families. The information that they gather from this study will help fire fighters and other burn care professionals find ways to make children and teenagers' lives better and safer. The information will also be used to improve the safety training that youngsters may receive in schools or at home. Their goal is to be able to understand what the burn-related injury was like for the child and eventually be able to use this information to help families cope with this type of tragedy.
Dr. Jones' research team is looking for children and families to participate in his study. Families who choose to participate could earn up to $50.00. Participation would consist of answering a number of questions over the telephone. Dr. Jones and his team are working with a telephone survey group who would call and ask the child's parent a variety of questions. This brief survey would last about 15 minutes. Following this survey, they would then ask to speak to the child or teenager who actually experienced the fire-related injury. At this time, he/she would be asked a number of additional questions. Their interview would last for about 30 to 35 minutes. For their participation, they would immediately be sent a check for $25.00. Questions asked to the parent and child/teen would be about the nature of the injury, their reactions to it, and how they are presently coping. At three and six months following this initial interview, families would be contacted again and asked a few additional questions. These interviews would be a good bit shorter than the initial interview. The child or teen would be paid $15.00 for the first follow up interview and $10.00 for the second. Dr. Jones would also mail three brief surveys to the family's home following each interview, to be sent back in a self-addressed, postage paid envelope. Participants would not be required to return these mail surveys in order to be paid for the interviews. All information would be kept confidential.
If you would like to participate in Dr. Jones' child burn study, please send Dr. Jones an email at: rtjones@vt.edu. You may also signal your willingness to participate by calling their toll-free telephone number: 1-888-870-4596. After you contact Dr. Jones, you will be mailed an information packet containing the following four items: a letter describing the study, an adult consent form, a child assent form, and self-addressed stamped envelope. After the adult consent and child assent forms have been filled out and mailed back to Dr. Jones (using the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope), your first telephone interview will be scheduled. You may also download and complete the two forms by visiting Dr. Jones' website: www.firetrauma.com.
Dr. Jones would like participants to know that above and beyond the monetary incentive we are offering for participation, the chief benefit of the participation would be in using our research to help others who have had similar experiences with burn-related injuries.
