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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06574633

ACEs Referral From PED

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic exposures that can cause many negative health impacts across life. ACEs are common in patients who seek out care in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs); this is an opportunity to connect families with mental health resources to mitigate the effects of ACEs and improve lifelong health. The goal of this study is to determine if children with high ACEs have better rates of follow-up with mental health resources when a telehealth option is provided, as previous research has shown that simply making an in-person follow-up appointment is not very helpful.

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Key information

Conditions

Adverse Childhood Experiences Oculocutaneous albinism type 2

Age range

12 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Arthur M. Blank Hospital | Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

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About this study

Children 12-17 years old who are receiving care in a PED and their legal guardians will fill out a tablet-based electronic consent/assent and survey that takes no longer than 10 minutes to complete while waiting for treatment once they are in a private patient room. The study team will review the responses to identify children with ACE scores 2 or higher and contact the family to help them arrange therapy services. Patients will be randomized to in-person versus telehealth therapy. A few months after enrollment, the study team will contact the family and mental health team to find out if the family was able to keep their appointment to start mental health treatment. This will aid future research to identify if and how mental health treatment impacts these patients over the following years.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients aged 12-17 years seen in the PED who read and speak English

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients already enrolled in outpatient therapy resources,
  • Critically ill patients
  • Patients with significant developmental delays impeding their ability to participate in therapy.

Treatment and study plan

In-person therapy

Behavioral

Participants will be referred to in-person therapy services when facilitating referral resources by a dedicated behavioral mental health specialist (BMHS).

Telehealth therapy

Behavioral

Participants will be referred to telehealth therapy services when facilitating referral resources by a dedicated behavioral mental health specialist (BMHS).

Primary outcomes

  1. Rate of attendance between groups after Behavioral Mental Health Specialist (BMHS) referral.

    Time frame: Within 24 weeks after scheduled appointment date

    Researchers will ask the therapy offices and participants if they were able to make it to the therapy appointment that was scheduled.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) scores between groups

    Time frame: Baseline and Within 24 weeks after scheduled appointment date

    Research has determined 7 specific Positive Childhood Experiences, or PCEs, that could be linked to a higher likelihood of positive health outcomes and a reduction in the negative outcomes associated with ACEs or toxic stress. Thinking about your life / your child's life, do you agree with the following statements? (yes/no)

    • I am able to talk with family about feelings.
    • I have the sense that family is supportive during difficult times.
    • I have the enjoyment of participation in community traditions.
    • I have the feeling of a sense of belonging in school.
    • I feel supported by friends.
    • I have at least two non-parent adults who genuinely cared.
    • I feel safe and protected by an adult in the home.

    Individuals with high PCE scores have a higher ability to seek social and emotional support and better follow-up rates for therapy services

  2. Child-reported and caregiver-reported Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and PCEs

    Time frame: Baseline

    Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that happen between ages 1 and 17. Researchers will use the Pediatric ACEs and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS). The PEARLS includes an ACE screen (Part 1) as well as a social determinants of health (SDOH) screen (Part 2). ACE screen-10 questions (yes/no) that screen for a history of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. The ACE score refers to the total number of ACE categories experienced, rather than the severity or frequency of any one category. The total score ranges between 0 and 10.

    PEARLS adolescent tool, for ages 12-19, to be completed by a caregiver, and PEARLS for adolescent self-report tool, for ages 12-19, to be completed by the adolescent.

    Comparison between child-reported ACEs and PCEs and caregiver-reported ACEs and PCEs of their child to determine if there is variability.

  3. ACEs prevalence by zip code between groups

    Time frame: Baseline

    Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). Researchers will use the Pediatric ACEs and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS). The PEARLS includes an ACE screen (yes/no). The ACE score refers to the total number of ACE categories experienced, rather than the severity or frequency of any one category. The total score ranges between 0 and 10. Investigators will analyze the total scores using the zip codes provided by participants.

  4. Community Resources by zip code

    Time frame: Baseline

    Community Resources by zip code between groups. Investigators will analyze the available community resources along with the ACE prevalence in the area using the zip codes provided by participants and compare between groups.

  5. Child opportunity index (COI)

    Time frame: Baseline

    The COI is a composite index of children's neighborhood opportunity that contains data for every neighborhood (census tract) in the United States from every year from 2012 through 2021. It is comprised of 44 indicators in three domains (education, health and environment, and social and economic) and 14 subdomains. . ACEs prevalence with Community Resources and Child Opportunity Index (COI) by zip code Community Resources by zip code between groups. The COI is a composite index of children's neighborhood opportunity that contains data for every neighborhood (census tract) in the United States from every year from 2012 through 2021. It is comprised of 44 indicators in three domains (education, health and environment, and social and economic) and 14 subdomains.

    Investigators will analyze COI along with ACE prevalence in the area using the zip codes provided by participants and compare between groups.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Emory University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Resource Referral Process in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Aug 28, 2024
Registry last updated
Apr 25, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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