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Longitudinal Analysis of Children's Internal States Language and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Following a Natural Disaster
Author(s) -
Legerski JohnPaul,
Greenhoot Andrea Follmer,
Vernberg Eric M.,
M. La Greca Annette,
Silverman Wendy K.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.3081
Subject(s) - psychology , poison control , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , injury prevention , cognition , occupational safety and health , mental health , longitudinal study , perception , natural disaster , association (psychology) , posttraumatic stress , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medical emergency , medicine , psychotherapist , physics , pathology , neuroscience , meteorology
Summary Disclosure of internal states terms (e.g., emotions, cognitions, and perceptions) in traumatic event descriptions is thought to be associated with physical and mental health in adults, but studies with children have been mixed, and the interpretation of many findings is complicated by the lack of longitudinal data. Using data collected from 568 students (ages 7–12 years) attending schools in Miami‐Dade County, Florida, this study examined the internal states language in participant's written descriptions of the ‘worst things that happened during the hurricane’ collected 3 and 7 months after Hurricane Andrew. Associations between these internal states and their posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) 3, 7, and 10 months post‐hurricane were evaluated using structural equation modeling. Patterns of association suggest that PTSS were not affected by internal states disclosure; rather, internal states language seemed to be a manifestation of PTSS. Implications for risk assessment, theory building, and treatment of PTSS in children are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.