Traumatic experiences and post-traumatic stress reactions in children fromKurdistan and Sweden

This paper examines the types and scores of traumatic experiences, post-tra umatic stress symptom and behavioural disorders among Kurdistanian refugee children in Sweden and a comparative Swedish group. The Harvard-Uppsala Tra uma Questionnaire for Children (HUTQ-C), the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for Children (PTSS-C) and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) were admini stered in interview form to 32 children from each sample, controlled for ag e, gender and trauma levels. No significant differences were found between the 2 samples regarding types of traumatic events, frequencies of post-trau matic stress disorder, post-traumatic stress symptom scores or behavioural problem scores, except in 3 aspects: Kurdistanian children reported more wa r experience and being lost, while Swedish children presented higher freque ncies of leisure-time accidents. Conclusion: This study supports the assumption that children:differ from ad ults by showing more similarities than differences regarding traumatic expe riences and post-traumatic stress:reactions, after being exposed to an equi valent number of reported traumatic events. The refugee children's stay in Sweden can be considered as a healing factor.