Weathering the Storm: Persistent Effects and Psychological First Aid with Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

Abstract

There is a growing body of research on mental health outcomes among, and interventions with, children exposed to disaster. A recommended form of postdisaster intervention is psychological first aid (PFA). This research examines the use of a 6-week PFA group intervention among children ages 5 to 15 displaced due to Hurricane Katrina. Within 20 months post-Katrina, children participated in the Weathering the Storm Psychological First Aid (WTS PFA) groups in public schools and at a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer park. A total of 99 children (95% African American) completed the WTS PFA intervention. Mean posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores remained in the moderate range two years postevent. Postintervention scores reflect a statistically significant improvement in PTSD symptoms among the sample.

Research Methods in Child Disaster Studies: A Review of Studies Generated by the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks; the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami; and Hurricane Katrina

“…A total of 17 (11.7 %) intervention studies were reviewed for this report with four using September 11 samples (Brown et al 2004, 2006; CATS Consortium 2010; Loumeau-May 2008), four using 2004 Tsunami samples (Berger and Gelkopf 2009; Catani et al 2009; Leitch 2007; Vijayakumar et al 2006), and nine using Hurricane Katrina samples (Cain et al 2010; Cohen et al 2009; Jaycox et al 2010; Plummer et al 2009; Salloum and Overstreet 2008, 2012; Scheeringa et al 2011; Taylor and Weems 2011; Weems et al 2009). Research on Hurricane Katrina had the highest percentage of studies (18.4 %) evaluating interventions which was significantly greater than the percentage of September 11 studies (5.8 %) (Fisher’s exact test: p = .04).…”

“…Food and Drug Administration 1988; White and Ernst 2001). Six intervention studies in this review used a quasi-experimental design with no control group (Brown et al 2004; Cain et al 2010; CATS Consortium Assessment 2010; Leitch 2007; Loumeau-May 2008; Plummer et al 2009). See Table 1.…”

Child disaster mental health interventions, part I

“…Some studies included children representing a wide age range, from 4 or 5 y of age to adolescents or young adults. 21 - 23 One publication reported a case study of a five year old 24 and one studied a preschool sample. 19 Participants’ disaster exposure was not consistently described and typically was not included in analysis of treatment effects in this body of work.…”

“…Relaxation also was used commonly as one component among others or in combination with other techniques in the interventions studied. 12 , 21 , 24 , 33 , 34 , 38 , 39 , 41 - 43 , 48 , 50 , 54 For example, Catani and colleagues 26 found both narrative exposure and meditation-relaxation interventions to be effective in children following the Indian Ocean tsunami, with no significant difference between the two interventions in any outcome measure. Also, Weems and colleagues 54 used relaxation training coupled with gradual exposure to address test anxiety in ninth graders exposed to Hurricane Katrina.…”

“…Many interventions incorporated components to enhance coping 12 , 22 , 43 , 44 , 48 and some provided a social support component. 14 , 15 , 21 , 35 , 37 , 44 , 48 For example, using a cognitive behavioral approach, Brown and colleagues 12 helped children develop a coping “tool box” by teaching them a variety of coping techniques. Berger and Gelkopf 25 administered the ERASE Stress intervention which focused on teaching children coping skills to address anger, loss, fears, and other emotions.…”