Mother and Child Reports of Hurricane Related Stressors: Data from a Sample of Families Exposed to Hurricane Katrina

Abstract

BACKGROUND Families exposed to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina are at risk for numerous adverse outcomes. While previous literature suggests that the degree of disaster exposure corresponds with experiencing negative outcomes, it is unclear if parents and children report similar levels of disaster exposure. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper was to examine levels of disaster stressor agreement among mother-child dyads affected by Hurricane Katrina, and to examine whether discrepancies in disaster stressor reports are associated with higher levels of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. METHODS Participants in this study consisted of 353 dyads of mothers (age M = 38.79 years, SD = 7.52; 68% African American) and children (52% girls; age M = 11.61 years, SD = 1.57) exposed to Hurricane Katrina. Parents and children were assessed at two timepoints, 3 – 7 months and 14 – 17 months postdisaster. Parent and child responses to items regarding hurricane related stressor exposure and PTS symptoms were analyzed. RESULTS Agreement on hurricane related exposures was predominately slight to moderate, with kappas ranging from κ = .19 to κ = .83. Polynomial regression analyses revealed that when mothers reported low levels of Immediate Loss/Disruption stressors and children reported high levels of these stressors, children reported higher levels of Time 2 PTS symptoms, b = -.72 (.33), p = .03. CONCLUSIONS Overall, levels of mother-child response agreement were low. Discrepancies in mother and child reports predicted higher levels of child PTS symptoms. Clinicians may want to query both parents and children about their disaster experiences when working with families postdisaster.

The relationship between social support and posttraumatic stress symptoms among youth exposed to a natural disaster

“…First, all data were based on child self-report. Evidence suggests there is low concordance between parent and child reports post-disaster (Lai, Beaulieu, Ogokeh, Self-Brown, & Kelley, 2015a). Further, the timing of assessments was variable.…”

“…Hurricane Katrina caused an estimated 1500 deaths and US$108 billion damage (Knabb et al, 2005). Participants in the present study were part of a larger multi-wave, longitudinal study investigating the psychological impact of Hurricane Katrina on mothers and their children (Kelley et al, 2010; Lai et al, 2015a, 2015b; Lai, Auslander, Fitzpatrick, & Podkowirow, 2014; Self-Brown, Lai, Thompson, McGill, & Kelley, 2013). …”

“…Scores collected from the children at Wave 1 were used in the analysis. This measure has been used in previous investigations to assess disaster exposure in children (La Greca et al, 2010; Lai et al, 2015a, 2015b; Lai, La Greca, Auslander, & Short, 2013). …”

Parental History of Trauma and Resilience during COVID-19

“…In addition to parental reactions to stress, other factors, such as child special needs or prior diagnoses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been linked to more sensitivity to the impact of crises, such as Hurricane Katrina (Weems et al, 2012). Parent's sensitivity to child stress has also been linked to better outcomes among children exposed to extreme stress, such as survivors of Hurricane Katrina (Lai et al, 2015). Other factors that are linked to vulnerability after crises include younger child age (Cohen et al, 2009), larger family support systems (De Prewitt & Richards, 2019), and social factors such as participation in informal social networks, and economic, political, and social structures that can impact resources and ability to adapt to stressors (Noffsinger et al, 2012).…”

Effects of extreme weather events on child mood and behavior

“…12 Similar to depression, anxiety is often comorbid with PTS in the context of EWE exposure. 14,16 Anxiety related to concerns about one's existence, 'existential anxiety', was described as highly prevalent and related to both elevated PTS and depression in a study of 325 adolescents conducted after Hurricane Katrina. 14 In addition to mood symptoms, externalizing behaviors have also been associated with childhood exposure to EWEs.…”