Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescents after a Hurricane

Garrison, Carol Z.; Weinrich, Martin C.; Hardin, Sally Brosz; Weinrich, Sally; Wang, Lixia

doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116886

Cited by 93 publications

(48 citation statements)

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“…However, the rate of PTSD of children and adolescents at-risk was reported from 3% to 100% (Garrison et al, 1995). The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the general population ranges from 1% to 14% (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

PTSD Symptoms in Elementary School Children After Typhoon Rusa

Lee

Kim

et al. 2004

J Korean Acad Nurs

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Purpose. A natural disaster negatively affects children's emotional and behavioral adjustment. The purpose of this paper was to examine the prevalence, symptoms, and correlates of PTSD after the occurrence of Typhoon Rusa.Method. 261 elementary school children living in Kimcheon, which was a devastated rural area in South Korea by Typhoon Rusa, were selected. Data were collected 4 months after the disaster using the PTSD Reaction Index categories recommended by Frederick, severity of PTSD.Results. 12.3% of the children had either moderate or severe PTSD symptoms; 22.7% reported mild symptoms; and the remaining 65% had sub-clinical symptoms of PTSD. The most frequent symptom was recurrenct fear(67.0%). 13% to 17.2% of children exhibited difficulty in concentration, sleep disturbance, and guilt feeling. The regression model of severity of PTSD was composed of the level of exposure to traumatic experiences, grade in school, gender, negative coping style, and social support, and explained 34.3% for PTSD symptoms. Exposure to traumatic experiences was the strongest factor of all predictors. Conclusion.Emotional support from friends and coping style were correlated with PTSD severity. School-based interventions that emphasizes coping with disaster related problems and problem-solving may prove to be useful, and may aid in building close and supportive ties with teachers, classmates, and friends.Key Words: Children, PTSD, Natural disaster informing efforts have been limited. Up to date, there have not been any studies in South Korea about posttraumatic stress disorder in children who have experienced such a disaster.Several investigations have reported the incidence of PTSD symptoms and diagnosis in children. In a large sample of school-age children who experienced a forest fire, over 50% of their parents reported PTSD symptoms at 2 months after the accident, and 33% of them reported PTSD symptoms after 2 years (McFarlane, 1987). However, most studies have not directly focused on the presence or absence of the diagnosis of PTSD and it is still unclear whether children who were exposed to disaster experience all of the PTSD symptoms.The essential feature of PTSD is developing characteristic symptoms after a traumatic event (Green, 1991). These symptoms involve the following three clusters: persistent re-experiencing of the stressor (e.g., recurrent thoughts or dreams of the disaster), persistent avoidance of reminders of the event and numbing of general responsiveness (e.g., avoidance of disaster-related activities, and feeling of detachment), and persistent symptoms of hyper-arousal (e.g., experience difficulties in sleeping or concentrating). When children are repetitively exposed to traumatic events, generalized nightmares, psychosomatic symptoms (e.g., headaches, stomach aches), and foreboding omens may occur.This study was done to identify the PTSD symptoms of children caused by a natural disaster and diverse factors that are related to these symptoms by examining 261 elementary school children in Kimcheon, 4 month...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

PTSD Symptoms in Elementary School Children After Typhoon Rusa

Lee

Kim

et al. 2004

J Korean Acad Nurs

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“…They accounted for only small effects, however, suggesting that other factors were more important determinants. Preexisting emotional and behavioral problems 26,41,[44][45][46] and prior trauma 27,44 may influence the child's response at the time of exposure and later. Preexisting internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression, 25,26,41 which themselves may influence the child's peritraumatic response to a traumatic experience, are especially important.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure and Peritraumatic Response as Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress in Children Following the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing

Pfefferbaum

Doughty

Reddy

et al. 2002

Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine

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“…Additionally, a literature review (Garrison et al 1993;Glesar et al 1981) had suggested that social constructs such as people's beliefs and subjective interpretation of events can play a role in trauma coping and recovery strategies. Hence personal beliefs, such as perceived abilities of self to recover, were also assessed on an ordinal scale.…”

Section: Critical Literature Review and Development Of Conceptual Framentioning

confidence: 99%