Children's PTSD reactions one year after a sniper attack at their school

Article Abstract:

One year after a sniper attack on a school playground, which killed one child and injured more than 13 others, a follow-up study on the children involved was performed. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can develop after exposure to a severe traumatic event which is outside the normal range of human experience. The experience typically involves potential or actual physical harm to oneself or others, and generates intense feelings of fear, terror and helplessness. Symptoms of this disorder include persistent recurrent recollections or dreams of the event, accompanied by extreme psychological distress. Longitudinal studies of PTSD have been conducted with adults, but few studies have been done with children. The children who attended the school where the sniper attack took place were divided into four groups: those who were directly exposed to the violence; those inside the school at the time of attack; children who were not in school that day; and those who were away from school at the time, such as being on vacation. Counseling and interviews were conducted shortly after the incident with 159 children; 100 were available for follow-up one year later. Results showed that children who had the highest level of exposure scored significantly higher on the PTSD reaction index than children in the other three groups. More intense original exposure also correlated with severity of response. Children who were acquainted with a victim had more severe long-term reactions, but this was seen only in the less exposed children. Feelings of guilt were also associated with acquaintance with the child who was killed. Acute reactions at the time of the event were predictive of a higher PTSD reaction index score 14 months later. The extent of exposure did not appear to be related to grief reactions, but acquaintance with the victim was associated with greater grief. Exposure to violence of this type during childhood is a disturbing trend in society, with public health repercussions which need to be addressed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Social aspects, Evaluation, Post-traumatic stress disorder in children, Childhood post-traumatic stress disorder

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What is PTSD?

Article Abstract:

Two studies present new results that challenge the existing conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study by Litz et al. examined the nature of exposure to stress and the prevalence of PTSD among US peacekeeping forces in Somalia while Southwick et al. investigated the consistency of adult memory for combat trauma in veterans of the Persian Gulf War. These new findings show a shift toward functional assessment in PTSD, which is an important development as the detection and treatment of mental illnesses move to the primary care sector.

Editorial, Research, Post-traumatic stress disorder

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