Table 1 Summary of key components in each session of the Coping with Accident Reactions intervention

• Parent’s story about child’s accident and medical treatment

• Psychoeducation on parental distress, promotion of coping skills, and activation of resources to manage own distress

• Psychoeducation on trauma reactions in young children to help understand and normalise the reactions and to identify signs for ongoing problems

• General coping strategies for parents to prevent or manage their child’s distress (All psychoeducation provided orally and in written form.)

• Storybook Max the Brave; help parents talk to their child about accident-related experiences and to show how the character successfully copes with them

• Lu Lu, an owl toy (also introduced in Max the Brave) for child’s comfort and to feel brave in scary situations

• Instructions for creating the personal storybook (e.g., using photographs, drawings, writing, stickers) about the accident and medical treatment to create an accurate understanding and to provide safe exposure to these memories

• Review of child’s presenting symptoms and concerns over the week

• Check parents’ distress level and coping ability and provide referral information if necessary

• Check use of Max the Brave and Lu Lu, encourage parents to continue doing so

• Check if parents are doing the personal storybook correctly, identify any problems and encourage them to continue doing exercises (Book is completed when child’s accident journey has finished.)

• Educate and normalise how parenting behaviours and the parent-child relationship can change following a child’s accident; help them to identify any unhelpful behaviours and discuss goals for change

• Teach parents how to effectively manage their child’s presenting traumatic stress reactions; teach specific coping strategies for separation anxiety; disobedience, tantrums and aggressive behaviour; sleeping problems; and fear and avoidance