Els van Meijel

82 Chapter 5 | Parental posttraumatic stress their parents (van Meijel et al., 2015). This study was concluded with the assessment of posttraumatic stress in the children and in one of each child’s parents 3 months after the child’s accident (T1). The design of that study did not include a follow-up assessment. However, in 2012-2013, we had the opportunity to conduct a follow-up assessment in a limited period of time. Despite resulting variability due to the range of 2 to 4 years in follow-up, we decided to perform this follow-up study. We contacted the families (the children and one of their parents) who had participated in the first study and we assessed PTSS in children and parents at 2 to 4 years after the accident (T2). The families first received a letter in which the follow-up study was announced and its purpose was explained. Subsequently, we contacted the families by telephone and invited them to participate in a telephone interview and to complete a questionnaire sent by email. Consent was given either in writing (by email) or during the initial telephone conversation (in which case this part of the conversation was audiotaped). The results of the child follow-up assessments are reported elsewhere (vanMeijel et al., 2019). Both studies were approved by the Medical Ethical Committees of the Academic Medical Center and VU University medical center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Participants To answer the research questions in the present study, we used the data from both the STEPP study and the follow-up study as mentioned above. We excluded cases for which only child data, but no parental data, were available. From the STEPP study, data of 135 parents and children were available: 103 mothers (76.3%), 32 fathers (23.7%), 58 girls (43%) and 77 boys (57%). Of the 135 families participating in the STEPP study, 69 families (51.1%) participated in the follow-up study. Of the initial group, 29 families could not be reached (2 telephone numbers were no longer in use and 27 did not answer our calls) and 37 declined to participate. Reasons for declining participation were serious medical and/or psychological problems of the child (2 families) and lack of time or no interest (35 families).