Helping
Children After a Disaster
A child's reaction to a disaster depends on how much destruction
he or she sees during and after the disaster. If a friend
or family member has been killed or seriously injured,
or if the child's school or home has been severely damaged,
there is a greater chance that the child will experience
difficulties.
A child's age affects how the child will respond to the
disaster. For example, 6-year-olds may show their concerns
about a catastrophe by refusing to attend school. Adolescents
may minimize their concerns but argue more with parents
and show a decline in school performance.
After a disaster, people may develop post-traumatic stress
disorder, which is psychological damage that can result
from experiencing, witnessing or participating in an overwhelmingly
traumatic (frightening) event. Children with this disorder
have repeated episodes in which they re-experience the
traumatic event. Children often relive the trauma through
repetitive play. In young children, distressing dreams
of the traumatic event may change into nightmares of monsters,
of rescuing others, or of threats to themselves or others.
Post-traumatic stress disorder rarely appears during the
trauma itself. Although its symptoms can occur soon after
the event, the disorder often surfaces several months
or even years later. Parents should be alert to these
changes in their child:
- Refusal to return to school and clinging behavior (shadowing the mother or father around the house)
- Persistent fears related to the catastrophe, such as fears about being permanently separated from parents
- Sleep disturbances, such as nightmares, screaming during sleep, and bedwetting which lasts more than several days after the event
- Loss of concentration and irritability
- Behavior problems such as misbehaving in school or at home in ways that are not typical for the child
- Physical complaints such as stomachaches, headaches or dizziness for which a physical cause cannot be found
- Withdrawal from family and friends, listlessness, decreased activity or preoccupation with the events of the disaster
Professional advice or treatment for children affected by a disaster--especially for those who have witnessed destruction, injury or death--can help prevent or minimize post-traumatic stress disorder. Parents who are concerned about their child should talk about it with their child's physician.
Developed by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Published by McKessonHBOC Clinical Reference Systems.
Information provided by www.boystownpediatrics.org
Copyright © 1986-2001 iMcKesson LLC. All rights reserved.
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