CHILDREN EXPOSED TO DISASTER .2. RISK-FACTORS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSTTRAUMATIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY

Objective: To examine the influence of subject and exposure variables on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms a nd syndrome in children exposed to disaster. Method: Three months afte r Hurricane Hugo, 5,687 school-aged children were surveyed about their experiences and reactions to the hurricane. Self-reports of PTSD symp toms were obtained by use of a PTSD Reaction Index. Results: The prese nce of PTSD symptoms was strongly related to children's reported sever ity of the hurricane, degree of home damage sustained, and continued d isplacement; however, children's level of trait anxiety and their repo rted emotional reactivity during the hurricane were more strongly rela ted to the presence of PTSD symptoms than were the exposure factors. D ifferent sets of risk factors appeared to differentially influence the development of the three DSM-III-R PTSD symptom clusters. Little evid ence for a differential effect of the risk factors between females and males and younger and older children was found. Conclusions: Level of trait anxiety appears to be the single strongest risk for the develop ment of severe post-traumatic reactions. The higher rate of post-traum atic symptoms in females and younger children in combination with the absence of differential reaction to the risk factors suggests that fem ales and younger children are more likely to develop posttraumatic rea ctions following a disaster.