Associations Between Children's Self-System Functioning and Depressive and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Following Disaster

• Published in: American journal of orthopsychiatry 2020, Vol.90 (6), p.667-676
• Main Authors: Kilmer, Ryan P, Gil-Rivas, Virginia, Roof, Katherine A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregivers; Child Psychopathology; Children; Children & youth; Competence; Coping; Coping Behavior; Disaster studies; Disasters; Expectations; Female; Human; Major Depression; Male; Mental depression; Natural Disasters; Psychological distress; Risk Factors; Self-Perception; Sequelae; Stress; Symptoms; Test Construction
• ISSN: 0002-9432; 1939-0025
• DOI: 10.1037/ort0000487

This study examined correlates of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms among 6- to 10-year-olds affected directly by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Research on the sequelae of disaster exposure for children has focused largely on aspects that contribute to increased distress or risk for disorder; fewer studies have investigated influences that may serve a positive function. This study sought to address that gap by examining the association between key children's socioemotional resources reflecting the self-system (perceived competence, future expectations, coping competency beliefs) and postdisaster symptomatology (PTSS, depressive symptoms) at approximately 12 and 22 months posthurricane. Participants included 66 caregiver-child dyads at Time 1 (T1) and 51 at Time 2 (T2), recruited in Louisiana and Mississippi. Study results indicate that higher levels of child self-system resources and self-views were associated with lower symptom levels. Although results were mixed across time points, the study's key findings were: (a) children's T1 levels of coping competency beliefs predicted lower PTSS at T2; and (b) children's positive future expectations at T1 predicted lower levels of depressive symptoms at T2. Results support the value of incorporating child socioemotional resource variables in disaster research and building on children's self-system resources via intervention pre- and postdisaster. Public Policy Relevance Statement This study suggests that selected socioemotional resources-including positive future expectations and coping competency beliefs-may contribute to lower levels of posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms in children who have experienced natural disasters. Findings provide preliminary evidence that efforts (perhaps integrated into children's school contexts) to build upon such resources and competences could strengthen children's adaptive capacities.