Behavior Problems and Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in Children Beginning School: A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Earthquake Groups

PLoS Currents
Kathleen LibertyJames Reid

Abstract

Literature reviews caution that estimating the effects of disasters on the behavior of children following a disaster is difficult without baseline information and few studies report the effects of earthquakes on young children. In addition the relationship between age at the time of disaster and consequential behavior problems have not been reported for young children who experience disaster-related stress during a developmentally sensitive period. Behavior problems and symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS) were reported for two groups of children from nearby neighborhoods during their first term at school, using the Behavior Problem Index by teacher report, following approved informed consent procedures. Data on one group, "Pre-EQ" (N=297), was collected four years before the beginning of the earthquakes on children born 2001-2002. Data on the second group, "Post-EQ" (N=212), was collected approximately three to four years after the beginning of the earthquakes on children born 2007-2009 and living in heavily damaged neighborhoods. The Post-EQ group had significantly more children from high socioeconomic neighborhoods but no other significant differences on main demographic characteristics. The mean behavior problem score wa...Continue Reading

Citations

Jul 12, 2017·BMC Psychiatry·Glenn N SaxeConstantin Aliferis
Jan 30, 2020·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·Ben BeagleholeCaroline J Bell
Jul 7, 2017·Current Psychiatry Reports·Shannon Self-BrownTheresa Glasheen

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