CHILDREN EXPOSED TO DISASTER .1. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF POSTTRAUMATIC SYMPTOMS AND SYMPTOM PROFILES

Objective: To determine the range and severity of post-traumatic stres s disorder (PTSD) symptoms exhibited by children after exposure to a n atural disaster. Method: Three months after Hurricane Hugo struck Berk eley County, South Carolina, 5,687 school-aged children were surveyed about their experiences and reactions related to the storm. Self-repor ts of PTSD symptoms were obtained by use of a PTSD Reaction Index, Res ults: Significant variation in the prevalence of PTSD symptoms was fou nd across race, gender, and age groups. Self-reported symptoms were us ed to derive a post-traumatic stress syndrome classification according to DSM-III-R guidelines for the diagnosis of PTSD. More than 5% of th e sample reported sufficient symptoms to be classified as exhibiting t his post-traumatic stress syndrome. Females and younger children were more likely to receive this classification. At the symptom level, fema les reported more symptoms associated with emotional processing and em otional reaction to the trauma. Males were more likely to report sympt oms related to cognitive and behavioral factors. Younger children were more likely to report symptoms overall. Conclusions: Children exposed to a high magnitude natural disaster report sufficient symptoms to es tablish a DSM-III-R derived classification of a PTSD syndrome. Differe nces between gender, age, and race groups appear to be related to diff erential risk of exposure, reporting biases, as well as a differential risk for developing post-traumatic symptoms.