BRAIN Center Memphis
About Our Research
We partner with universities and hospitals to establish customizable research design and program evaluation tailored to the needs of the institutions.
Correlates of Intentional and Unintentional : Firearm-Related Injuries Among Pediatric Hospital Patients
In this additional study (Zettler et al., 2024), we aimed to identify predictors of intentional firearm-related injuries among pediatric patients. In a sample of 87 patients, we found that older adolescents and patients with higher number of adverse childhood experiences were significantly more likely to experience intentional firearm violence.
Call to Action: The Rise of Pediatric Gun Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic
We collected data from 144 youth who were hospitalized for non-fatal firearm injuries to understand characteristics of pediatric gun violence. We found that most patients were Black (82%) and male (75%), and the majority of injuries were the result of intentional assaults (72%). Further, we found that most patients had histories of traumatic experiences, especially exposure to community violence (Schauss et al., 2023).
Mental Health 911: Advocating for the Integration of Behavioral Health Services in Pediatric Hospital Emergency Departments
This paper describes a standard of mental health care and the benefits of providing mental health services in pediatric hospital settings. The Trauma Mental Health Counseling Program, Hurt-2-Healing (H2H™) was developed and implemented in a Level-1 pediatric hospital and has served a total of 1,523 pediatric trauma patients and their caregivers since 2021, establishing a new hospital based standard of mental healthcare.
Mental Health Distress in Pediatric Trauma Patients
In collaboration with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the BRAIN Center at the University of Memphis conducted the largest study to date examining the incidence of acute stress disorder in 617 pediatric trauma patients. The study found a staggering 64.8% of patients were diagnosed with acute stress disorder, which is the pre-diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Need for Mental Health Services for Pediatric Gun Violence Victims
In two additional studies examining children and adolescents treated in the emergency department for non-fatal firearm injuries, 72% of patients were admitted for assault-related injuries, and 57% of injuries were the result of community violence. Having a history of childhood adversity increased the likelihood that the patient was admitted for an intentional firearm injury. Collectively, our results confirm the need for integrative mental health services in pediatric hospital settings.
