[Post-traumatic grief and the need for ritual in therapy]. / Deuil post-traumatique et besoin de rituel en thérapie.

This clinical history retraces the treatment of an Ivorian man presenting with a state of post-traumatic mourning following the assassination of his family ten years ago, in a context of crisis. The aim is to illustrate the need for flexibility in the therapeutic framework in this mourning process, which is complicated or even prevented by psychotraumatic symptoms and the absence of rituals. The transcultural approach initiates here a first evolution in the patient's symptomatology.

[The infant faced with the loss of a parent]. / L'enfant face au deuil d'un parent.

Bereavement in an infant constitutes a complex process with a distinct temporality. It is closely linked to family bereavement. Based on a clinical example, it is possible to detail the necessary stages as well as the difficulties to take into account during this very specific ordeal which the sudden loss of a parent represents.

Screening for psychological difficulties in young children in crisis: complementary cross-cultural validation.

BACKGROUND: Detection of children's psychological difficulties in crises and low resource settings is challenged by the lack of a validated, rapid and simple tool. We present the results of two confirmatory validations of the Psychological Screening for Young Children aged 3 to 6 years (PSYCa 3-6) scale. METHODS: We performed cross-cultural validations, assessing the performance of the scale in different contexts. These were conducted in Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya and Buenaventura, Colombia between December 2009 and February 2012. External validity was assessed comparing the PSYCa 3-6 against a clinical interview and the Clinical Global Impression Severity scale (CGI). RESULTS: A total of 160 mothers or caregivers of children 3 to 6 years old in Mathare and 148 in Buenaventura were included in the study. Both demonstrated good concurrent validity (Buenaventura ρ=0.49, p<0.0001; Mathare ρ=0.41, p<0.0001). Inter-rater reliability was found to be acceptable in Buenaventura (intraclass correlation [ICC]=0.69 [0.4-0.84]) and high in Mathare (0.87 [0.75-0.94]). CONCLUSIONS: As shown by its validation in diverse contexts, use in other populations may help improve the delivery of mental health care to children in crises and low-resource settings. Additional research on the design and delivery of intervention models for crises remains essential.

[The specific needs of babies, children and adolescents in crises]. / Les besoins spécifiques des bébés, enfants et adolescents dans les crises.

Medical-psychological emergency units are often called upon in situations of crises involving children or adolescents. Interventions are adapted to specific needs, taking place on a one-to-one and group basis. They are concerned with the child, his or her family circle and the environment in connection with the traumatic event.

[Does trauma help teenagers to "grow up"?]. / Les traumatismes font-ils "grandir" les adolescents?

Traumatic events may give rise to invalidating and chronic situations of distress. The concept of post-traumatic growth suggests that trauma may help people who have experienced it to mature and make positive changes in their lives, especially teenagers. This concept and its limits deserve to be studied in greater depth.

[Care for young children who have suffered a tragic event]. / La prise en charge de jeunes enfants victimes d'un événement traumatique.

Children are regularly faced with traumatic events, whether these are disasters (tsunami, floods, earthquakes), accidents (transport, domestic) or intentional acts (war, ill treatment). The care provided for young Haitian children following the earthquake in January 2010 offers an insight into specific intervention methods, the treatment of post-traumatic disorders and the effects of trauma on those working with them.

[Taking care of the families of air disaster victims]. / La prise en charge des families de victimes d'une catastrophe aérienne.

The medico-psychological emergency unit in Seine-Saint-Denis (93) was involved in managing the families of the victims of the AF447 flight crash which took place on the night of 31 May and 1 June 2009 between Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Paris. It is interesting to study the system set up at the airport, the symptomatology observed, and the parameters of the efficiency of the care provided.