Family violence, war, and natural disasters: A study of the effect of extreme stress on children's mental health in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: The consequences of war violence and natural disasters on the mental health of children as well as on family dynamics remain poorly understood. Aim of the present investigation was to establish the prevalence and predictors of traumatic stress related to war, family violence and the recent Tsunami experience in children living in a region affected by a long-lasting violent conflict. In addition, the study looked at whether higher levels of war violence would be related to higher levels of violence within the family and whether this would result in higher rates of psychological problems in the affected children.

Prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms among child survivors 1 year following the Wenchuan earthquake in China

“…Among these risk factors, pre-existing child characteristics (e.g., gender, age, and prior exposure to traumatic events) have been well studied. Many studies found that girl survivors of disasters had a greater risk than boy survivors to develop PTSD and depressive symptoms [8,[17][18][19], although some studies did not find significant gender differences [18,20]. With regard to the association between age and PTSD symptoms, the results have been inconsistent across studies.…”

Long-term health of children following the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption: a prospective cohort study

“…When comparing girls and boys, previous studies have shown that girls are more likely than boys to develop PTSD symptoms following disaster exposure (Garrison et al, 1995; Giannopoulou et al, 2006; John et al, 2007), although some studies find no such difference (Catani et al, 2008). We did not compare girls and boys regarding prevalence of symptoms, but our gender stratified analyses indicate that both genders show increased risk of symptoms of anxiety or worries but only boys show headache(s) and sleep disturbances.…”

“…The majority of studies on children’s well-being following natural disasters have focused on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Bokszczanin, 2007; Catani, Jacob, Schauer, Kohila, & Neuner, 2008; Fan, Zhang, Yang, Mo, & Liu, 2011; Goenjian et al, 2011; John, Russell, & Russell, 2007; Lai, Kelley, Harrison, Thompson, & Self-Brown, 2015; Self-Brown, Lai, Thompson, McGill, & Kelley, 2013; Stanke, Murray, Amlot, Nurse, & Williams, 2012). Depression and anxiety have also been reported among children post-disaster, and are often comorbid with PTSD (La Greca, Silverman, Lai, & Jaccard, 2010; Lai, La Greca, Auslander, & Short, 2013; Swenson et al, 1996).…”

“…With regard to predictive factors, some studies have found girls to be more likely than boys to show symptoms of post-traumatic stress following disasters (Garrison et al, 1995; Giannopoulou et al, 2006; John et al, 2007; Lai et al, 2013), while others have found no gender specific effects (Catani et al, 2008). In addition, research has indicated that experiencing secondary life stressors such as loss of home, having to change schools and shifts in parental employment and finances should increase the risk of adverse mental health outcomes among children post-disaster (Fan et al, 2011; La Greca et al, 2010; Silverman, 2002).…”

Mental Health Problems among Undergraduates in Fukushima, Tokyo, and Kyoto after the March 11 Tohoku Earthquake

“…This is understandable because a nuclear accident has a broader range of impact compared to natural disasters through air and water leakages, transportation of people, and food supplies. Although proximity could be a moderator, studies that compared the impact of natural and human-related extreme-stress disasters (Catani et al 2008) on young people's well-being are scarce. Therefore, the extent to which proximity to the disaster site influences young people's mental health when the disaster is a multilevel incident (i.e., both natural and human-related) is unclear.…”