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Parent-Reported Behavioral and Emotional Responses of Children to Disaster and Parental Psychopathology |
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| Authors: | Carol S North Steffi Mendoza Zorica Simic Betty Pfefferbaum |
| Institution: | 1. Medical Director, The Altshuler Center for Education &2. Research, Metrocare Services, Dallas, Texas, USA;3. The Nancy and Ray L. Hunt Chair in Crisis Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;4. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;5. Clinical Research Coordinator, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;6. George Lynn Cross Research Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA |
| Abstract: | Child disaster mental health research has been largely limited by investigation of one disaster at a time and inconsistent methods across different studies. This study assessed 160 survivors of 3 disasters with structured diagnostic interviews, asking about the behavioral and emotional disaster reactions of their 266 children, ages 3–17. Most children had ≥1 postdisaster behavior change or disaster-related posttraumatic stress symptom. The children’s postdisaster behavioral and emotional problems were associated with parental postdisaster psychopathology. The results underscore the importance of asking disaster survivors about their children’s disaster reactions and considering parental disaster experiences and reactions in addressing their children’s reactions. |
| Keywords: | Children disaster mental health parents psychiatric disorder structured diagnostic interview |