Research shows children who survive a natural disaster may suffer from PTS

By Staff Writer

According to new research by a psychologist from the University of Miami, children who live through a severe hurricane may show signs of post-traumatic stress (PTS) - such as having reoccurring dreams, being tense or distracted, and feeling sad or fearful - years after the trauma. The study, which is published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, is called Hurricane-Related Exposure Experiences and Stressors, Other Life Events, and Social Support: Concurrent and Prospective Impact on Children's Persistent Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms.

For the research, the author studied 384 children in the second through fourth grades who survived Hurricane Charley, a category four storm that affected Florida in 2004. The findings show that 35 percent of children experienced symptoms of PTS within nine months of the hurricane and 29 percent reported these feelings after 21 months.

However, support from peers was found to help protect kids from the damaging psychological effects of the storm.

Annette La Greca, author of the study, said that restoring contact with friends can help kids be more resilient after trauma. She added that this was the first study to research PTS symptoms in children more than a year after a hurricane.