Psychologists at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry carried out studies on children aged two to 10 who had been involved in traffic accidents.
The research found that around one in ten children showed signs of post-traumatic stress even six months after their accident. This is the same rate of post traumatic stress found in older children and adults who have been exposed to similar situations.
The institute says the findings highlight the need to improve mental health support for young children after traumatic incidents, particularly in supporting children from parts of the world affected by natural disasters and conflict. Too often their mental health needs are not taken into account, says the institute.
Dr Richard Meiser-Stedman, lead researcher on for the project at the Institute of Psychiatry, said: "Our findings indicate that the mental health needs of pre-school children caught up in terrifying events should be considered by parents and health services."
This is especially important as young children are not able to access health services on their own and are at such a vulnerable point in their development, he added.
Further research is being called for to help develop training modules.
