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Post traumatic stress disorder reactions in children of war: a longitudinal study
1Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Public Health, Al-Quds University, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Insights
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reactions in children decreased significantly after a year without conflict. However, many children still experience emotional and behavioral issues, with past trauma being a key risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- War trauma significantly impacts children's mental health.
- Understanding the long-term effects of war on child psychology is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general mental health issues in children exposed to war trauma.
- To assess changes in these conditions over a one-year period.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving 234 children (aged 7-12) in the Gaza Strip.
- Utilized the Child Post Traumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI) and Rutter Scales (A2 for parents, B2 for teachers).
- Data collected during a peace process, one year after initial assessment.
Main Results:
- Moderate to severe PTSD reactions decreased from 40.6% to 10.0%.
- Significant reductions were observed in total scores across PTSD and mental health measures.
- Previous traumatic experiences predicted higher PTSD scores at follow-up.
Conclusions:
- PTSD symptoms in children tend to diminish when stressors cease.
- A considerable number of children continue to exhibit emotional and behavioral problems.
- Cumulative war trauma experience is a significant risk factor for persistent PTSD symptoms.
Objective:
To establish rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reactions and general mental health problems in children who had experienced war trauma.
Method:
A longitudinal study in the Gaza strip with 234 children aged 7 to 12 years, who had experienced war conflict, at 1 year after the initial assessment, that is, during the peace process. Children completed the Child Post Traumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI), while the Rutter A2 and B2 Scales were completed by parents and teachers.
Results:
The rate of children who reported moderate to severe PTSD reactions at follow-up had decreased from 40.6% (N = 102) to 10.0% (N = 74). 49 children (20.9%) were rated above the cut-off for mental health problems on the Rutter A2 (parent) Scales, and 74 children (31.8%) were above the cut-off on the Rutter B2 (teacher) Scales. The total scores on all three measures had significantly decreased during the 1-year period. The total CPTS-RI score at follow-up was best predicted by the number of traumatic experiences recalled at the first assessment.
Conclusions:
PTSD reactions tend to decrease in the absence of further stressors, although a substantial proportion of children still present with a range of emotional and behavioral problems. Cumulative previous experience of war trauma constitutes a risk factor for continuing PTSD symptoms.