Investigating psychopathological consequences of a disaster in children: a pilot study incorporating a structured diagnostic interview.

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a pilot study examining the reactions of children to a disaster of severe flooding in a circumscribed area of rural Missouri. Both parents and children were interviewed separately approximately 1 year after the flood using parallel versions of a structured diagnostic interview designed to identify children with DSM-III diagnoses. The results document the importance of interviewing children directly. Children reported more anxiety symptoms than parents reported for their children. Although symptoms of posttraumatic stress were reported, none of the children met full criteria for the disorder. Children most likely to be adversely affected were those with a preexisting disorder and those with parents who also reported a high number of symptoms in themselves.

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