Posttraumatic stress reactions among children following the Athens earthquake of September 1999

• Published in: European child & adolescent psychiatry Vol. 12; no. 6; pp. 273 - 280
• Main Authors: KOLAITIS, G, KOTSOPOULOS, J, LIAKOPOULOU, M, KATERELOS, P, TSIANTIS, J, HARITAKI, S, RIGIZOU, F, ZACHARAKI, L, RIGA, E, AUGOUSTATOU, A, BIMBOU, A, KANARI, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01-12-2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anxiety; Anxiety disorders; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Athens; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child clinical studies; Child Reactive Disorders - diagnosis; Child Reactive Disorders - epidemiology; Child Reactive Disorders - psychology; Children; Children & youth; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Disasters; Earthquakes; Emigration and Immigration; Female; Greece; Health Surveys; Humans; Immigrants; Male; Medical sciences; Mental depression; Mental health; Personality Assessment; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Wounds and Injuries - psychology; Greece; Europe; Armenia; United States > US; Human; Mood disorder; Posttraumatic syndrome; Prevalence; Anxiety disorder; Mental health; Depression; Exposure; Epidemiology; Stress; Symptomatology; Earthquakes; Child; Antecedent; Public health
• ISSN: 1018-8827; 1435-165X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00787-003-0339-x

The objective of the present study was to assess symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety among children 6 months after they had been exposed to an earthquake (EQ) affecting the northwestern suburbs of Athens in September 1999. A total of 115 children attending two elementary schools located at the epicentre of the EQ were assessed. A group of 48 children not affected by the EQ attending a school not affected by the EQ were used as controls. The children and their parents completed a number of questionnaires. Overall, there was a high rate (78%) of severe to mild PTSD symptoms in the EQ exposed group. Additionally, a substantial proportion of these children scored above criteria (32%) for depression compared to the control group (12.5%). Severe or moderate symptoms of PTSD were associated with high scores of depression (p = 0.002). The relationship between PTSD symptoms and anxiety was limited to the "avoidance" factor of the anxiety questionnaire (p = 0.029). Those who were most likely to be affected were children alone at the time of the EQ, and children who sustained injuries. In summary, countries where EQs are frequent should be prepared to offer psychological support to a substantial proportion of children presenting with PTSD and depressive symptoms and should educate and prepare children to cope with these events.