Trauma Functioning and Well-Being in Children Who Receive Mental Health Aid after Natural Disaster or War

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15715688
AutoresEmily Simonds (0000-0001-5649-1724, Campbell University), Katrina Arlene P Gobenciong (Campbell University), Jonathan E Wilson (0000-0002-3458-9760, OpSAFE International, Tokyo 198-0013, Japan), Michael R Jiroutek (0000-0002-0136-1305, Campbell University), Nicole R Nugent (0000-0001-8756-5618, Brown University), Miranda A L van Tilburg (0000-0002-0504-9829, University of Washington, autor correspondente)
Ano2022
Volume9
Fascículo7
Páginas951-951
Data de publicação2022-06-25
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoChildren (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067
EditoraMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/children9070951
PMID35883935
OpenAlexW4283456128
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas24

Background: There is worldwide consensus that providing secondary prevention to promote resilience and prevent mental health concerns after a disaster is important. However, data supporting this kind of intervention is largely lacking. The current study evaluates the effectiveness of OperationSAFE, an early intervention for children after community-wide trauma. Methods: Secondary data analyses of data collected during 158 OperationSAFE camps (a five day camp with a curriculum focused on coping with stressors) in five countries and ten disasters between 2015 and 2020 were performed. Data on child trauma-related functioning/well-being were collected by an OperationSAFE in-house developed symptom checklist and completed by counselors about children on the first and last day of the 5-day camp. Results: A total of 16,768 children participated in the camps (mean age 9.4 ± 2.36; 50% male). Trauma-related functioning/well-being improved from day 1 to day 5 (b = 8.44 ± 0.04; p < 0.0001). Older children improved more (b = 0.22 ± 0.01; p < 0.0001). Children in man-made ongoing trauma (war/refugees) situations responded stronger than those after natural disasters (b = 2.24 ± 0.05; p < 0.0001). Negligible effects for gender and the number of days between a traumatic event and the start of camp were found. Conclusions: This is the first study to show in a large and diverse sample that secondary prevention to promote resilience and prevent mental health concerns after a disaster for children is associated with improvements in trauma-related functioning/well-being. Delaying delivery of the intervention did not affect outcomes. Given the uncontrolled nature of the study and lack of long-term outcomes, more studies are needed to corroborate the current findings

Geography · Medical emergency · Mental health · Natural (archaeology · Natural disaster · Psychiatry · History · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health