Thursday, September 9, 2010

Children and Disaster Situations

I have come across a few very interesting articles on the psychological effects of a natural or man-made disaster on children. The effects vary in different ages; as one of the articles reports:

" * Preschoolers—thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behavior, and withdrawal from friends and routines.
* Elementary School Children—irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends.
* Adolescents—sleeping and eating disturbances, agitation, increase in conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behavior, and poor concentration.

A minority of children may be at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms can include those listed above as well as re-experiencing the disaster during play and/or dreams; anticipating or feeling that the disaster is happening again; avoiding reminders of the disaster; general numbness to emotional topics; and increased arousal symptoms such as inability to concentrate and startle reactions. Although rare, some adolescents may also be at increased risk of suicide if they suffer from serious mental health problems like PTSD or depression. Again, adults should seek professional mental health help for children exhibiting these symptoms. "



These are the kind of children who need HappyPacks, who need joy at this time. These children may survive the disaster, but what is the point if you do not feel happy?


Links to two of the articles have been included below.



http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/naturaldisaster_ho.aspx

http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA95-3022/default.asp

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