Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Study: Signs of PTSD in children may linger almost two years after a hurricane
By Staff Writer
Findings from a recent study indicate that children who were directly exposed to trauma, such as a hurricane, can still show signs of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) almost two years after the initial event.
The study, which was conducted by a psychologist from the University of Miami and her collaborators, is published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
Researchers analyzed 384 second through fourth graders who lived through Hurricane Charley. This category four storm, which struck Southwest Florida in 2004, led to 35 deaths, more than $16.3 billion in damage and school closures.
To learn the long-term effects the hurricane had on the children, researchers assessed them nine months after the initial trauma, then again when 21 months had passed. They found that at the nine-month mark, 35 percent of the child participants showed signs of moderate to severe levels of PTSD. Several months later, 29 percent of the same children still reported stress.
Time spent with peers was found to be helpful. The researchers believe that social support may promote greater resilience in children who have been psychologically affected by a hurricane.
