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Post‐traumatic Stress Reactions in Children of War
Author(s) -
Thabet Abdel Aziz Mousa,
Vostanis Panos
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/1469-7610.00456
Subject(s) - rutter , psychology , traumatic stress , clinical psychology , checklist , child behavior checklist , intervention (counseling) , injury prevention , poison control , psychiatry , developmental psychology , medicine , medical emergency , cognitive psychology
The aims of this study were to estimate the rate of post‐traumatic stress reactions in Palestinian children who experienced war traumas, and to investigate the relationship between trauma‐related factors and PTSD reactions. The sample consisted of 239 children of 6 to 11 years of age. Measures included the Rutter A2 (parent) and B2 (teacher) scales, the Gaza Traumatic Event Checklist, and the Child Post‐Traumatic Stress Reaction Index. Of the sample, 174 children (72.8%) reported PTSD reactions of at least mild intensity, while 98 (41%) reported moderate/severe PTSD reactions. Caseness on the Rutter A2 scale was detected in 64 children (26.8%), which correlated well with detection of PTSD reactions, but not with teacher‐detected caseness. The total number of experienced traumas was the best predictor of presence and severity of PTSD. Intervention programmes for post‐war children need to be evaluated, taking into account developmental and cultural aspects, as well as characteristics of the communities involved.