McDermott, Brett M., and Palmer, Lyle J. (2002) Postdisaster emotional distress, depression and event-related variables: findings across child and adolescent developmental stages. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36 (6). pp. 754-761.

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

Objective: Developmental approaches have not been widely used in child and adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder research, and little is known about developmental differences in response to postdisaster trauma. Our objective was to investigate postdisaster depression and emotional distress psychopathology across a broad child and adolescent developmental range.

Method: Six months following a bushfire disaster, 2379 grade 4–12 school students completed an extensive self-report battery, which included the Impact of Event Scale and the Birleson Depression Inventory. Generalized linear models were constructed to model the effects of multiple covariates on continuous outcome measures of depression and emotional distress.

Results: Significant independent predictors of persisting depressive symptoms were increased symptoms of emotional distress; increased symptoms of anxiety; evacuation experience; and school grade. Significant independent predictors of emotional distress were persisting depressive symptoms; perception of threat to self or to parents; evacuation experience; and school grade. Gender was not a significant predictor in either the depression or emotional distress multivariate models. Complex, non-linear relationships between depression, emotional distress and school grade were found.

Conclusion: This study suggests that important developmental differences in postdisaster psychological responses exist across a broad spectrum of developmental stages in children.

Item ID:	44616
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1440-1614
Keywords:	anxiety, children, depression, postdisaster, psychopathology
Date Deposited:	19 Jul 2016 22:55
FoR Codes:	11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1199 Other Medical and Health Sciences > 119999 Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9201 Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions) > 920111 Nervous System and Disorders @ 100%
Downloads:	Total: 3
	More Statistics