Child disaster mental health interventions, part I

Pfefferbaum, Betty; Sweeton, Jennifer L.; Newman, Elana; Varma, Vandana; Nitiéma, Pascal; Shaw, Jon A.; Chrisman, Allan K.; Noffsinger, Mary A.

doi:10.4161/dish.27534

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Many of these interventions have proven effective in reducing the mental health sequelae of disasters. For a review of different programmes and their effectiveness, see Pfefferbaum and co-workers (2014a, 2014b). A study that provides pre-event general psychoeducation to children about the effects of experiencing a disaster (or other potentially traumatic event) in a community that later experiences a disaster would provide valuable information about such interventions in the future.…”

Section: Disaster Risk Communication and Pre-event Strategies: Implemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communicating with children and adolescents about the risk of natural disasters

Midtbust

Dyregrov

Djup

2018

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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A vast number of people annually are affected by natural disasters. Children are at risk of losing their lives and suffer mentally or physically after such events. The fostering of resilience and preparedness ahead of disasters can reduce untoward effects of disastrous events. Risk communication and disaster education are considered important aspects of disaster preparedness, but little is known about whether such strategies influence children’s behaviour when natural disasters occur or how they cope in the aftermath. This paper presents and discusses various strategies that promote preparedness activities to save lives. To a minor extent, it also includes strategies that can promote coping in the aftermath. Strategies such as informational campaigns, educational activities, psychoeducation and parental guidance are addressed. The literature to date indicates that schools are a suitable arena for risk communication, and that adolescents themselves should be involved and engaged in the communication strategies. However, the relationship between knowledge of preparedness strategies and the resulting preparedness actions is largely unknown. It is unknown whether changes in awareness and attitudes have resulted in actual behaviour change. It is advocated that preparedness activities and parental involvement should supplement information-based strategies.

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Section: Disaster Risk Communication and Pre-event Strategies: Implemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communicating with children and adolescents about the risk of natural disasters

Midtbust

Dyregrov

Djup

2018

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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“…Few disaster mental health intervention studies have been conducted with adolescents. 3,4 Most extant studies did not involve parents, and none examined low-cost, highly sustainable technology-based interventions. 3–4 Our large sample size and population-based sampling frame also were significant strengths.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,2 Few disaster mental health interventions have undergone rigorous scientific evaluation; those that have are typically resource intensive and difficult to deploy. 3–4 Scalable, sustainable interventions have tremendous potential value if found to reduce the psychological, health-related, and economic burden of disasters. 5 Web-based self-help approaches may help to address this critical gap in resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Technology-based interventions have performed well in several methodologically rigorous efficacy studies as adjuncts to clinician-directed treatment and as front-line interventions with minimal or no clinician contact. 6,9,10 However, no research has evaluated the efficacy of web-based self-help mental health interventions for youth affected by disasters, 3–6 signaling the need for this study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Web Intervention for Adolescents Affected by Disaster: Population-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

Ruggiero

Price

Adams³

et al. 2015

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psych

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Objective To assess the efficacy of Bounce Back Now (BBN), a modular, web-based intervention for disaster-affected adolescents and their parents. Method A population-based randomized controlled trial used address-based sampling to enroll 2,000 adolescents and parents from communities affected by tornadoes in Joplin, MO, and Alabama. Data collection via baseline and follow-up semi-structured telephone interviews was completed between September 2011 and August 2013. All families were invited to access the BBN study web portal irrespective of mental health status at baseline. Families who accessed the web portal were assigned randomly to 3 groups: (1) BBN, which featured modules for adolescents and parents targeting adolescents’ mental health symptoms; (2) BBN plus additional modules targeting parents’ mental health symptoms; or (3) assessment only. The primary outcomes were adolescent symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Results Nearly 50% of families accessed the web portal. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed time × condition interactions for PTSD symptoms (B=−0.24, SE=0.08, p<.01) and depressive symptoms (B=−0.23, SE=0.09, p<.01). Post-hoc comparisons revealed fewer PTSD and depressive symptoms for adolescents in the experimental vs. control conditions at 12-month follow-up (PTSD: B=−0.36, SE=0.19, p=.06; depressive symptoms: B=−0.42, SE=0.19, p=0.03). A time × condition interaction also was found favoring the BBN vs. BBN + parent self-help condition for PTSD symptoms (B=0.30, SE=0.12, p=.02), but not depressive symptoms (B=0.12, SE=0.12, p=.33). Conclusion Results supported the feasibility and initial efficacy of BBN as a scalable disaster mental health intervention for adolescents. Technology-based solutions have tremendous potential value if found to reduce the mental health burden of disasters.

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“…Pfefferbaum (2014) and Soltis & Ruggiero (2013) reviewed post-disaster intervention studies for youth. Most (n=32 of 48) evaluated behavioral and/or cognitive interventions.…”

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confidence: 99%

Bounce Back Now! Protocol of a population-based randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a Web-based intervention with disaster-affected families

Ruggiero

Davidson

McCauley³

et al. 2015

Contemporary Clinical Trials

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Disasters have far-reaching and potentially long-lasting effects on youth and families. Research has consistently shown a clear increase in the prevalence of several mental health disorders after disasters, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Widely accessible evidence-based interventions are needed to address this unmet need for youth and families, who are underrepresented in disaster research. Rapid growth in Internet and Smartphone access, as well as several web based evaluation studies with various adult populations has shown that web-based interventions are likely to be feasible in this context and can improve clinical outcomes. Such interventions also are generally cost-effective, can be targeted or personalized, and can easily be integrated in a stepped care approach to screening and intervention delivery. This is a protocol paper that describes an innovative study design in which we evaluate a self-help web-based resource, Bounce Back Now, with a population-based sample of disaster affected adolescents and families. The paper includes description and justification for sampling selection and procedures, selection of assessment measures and methods, design of the intervention, and statistical evaluation of critical outcomes. Unique features of this study design include the use of address-based sampling to recruit a population-based sample of disaster-affected adolescents and parents, telephone and web-based assessments, and development and evaluation of a highly individualized web intervention for adolescents. Challenges related to large-scale evaluation of technology-delivered interventions with high-risk samples in time-sensitive research are discussed, as well as implications for future research and practice.

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Child disaster mental health interventions, part I

Cited by 20 publications

References 63 publications

Communicating with children and adolescents about the risk of natural disasters

Communicating with children and adolescents about the risk of natural disasters

Web Intervention for Adolescents Affected by Disaster: Population-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

Bounce Back Now! Protocol of a population-based randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a Web-based intervention with disaster-affected families

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