Helping Children Cope with Disasters and Terrorism
La Greca, Annette and Silverman, Wendy K. and Vernberg, Eric M. (eds.) et al. (2002).
Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association; 446 pages. ISBN 1557989141.
Helping Children Cope with Disasters and Terrorism, edited by Annette La Greca, Wendy Silverman, Eric Vernberg, and Michael Roberts, is the ideal text for anyone who wishes to acquaint themselves with the research literature on the psychological effects of disasters and terrorism on children and youth. In the introduction, the editors draw attention to the commonly made assumption that young people’s reactions to disastrous events are transient, and that children are resilient to any lasting, deleterious effects in the aftermath of these events. Unfortunately, the chapters in the book provide clear evidence to the contrary through an extensive review of empirical research on children’s and adolescents’ negative reactions to disaster. Throughout the text, chapters provide insight into young people’s reactions to disaster and terrorism and review the factors associated with poor psychological adjustment following these events. Fortunately, the book also highlights the factors that may serve to protect children and youth from poor emotional and behavioral outcomes. For instance, chapters provide data on the utility of post-disaster intervention efforts as well as provide suggestions for implementing such interventions in young populations.
The text is divided into five sections. The first section, entitled “Concepts and Key Issues,” is devoted to the broad conceptual and practical issues involved in working with children and adolescents who have experienced disaster and consists of four chapters. The initial chapter in this section defines disasters, reviews the general types of responses shown by young people with respect to the time elapsed since the disaster, and discusses factors and correlates influencing post-disaster reactions. This review includes definitions of the types of events that constitute disasters and emphasizes the variety of psychological responses reported in disaster-exposed children and youth. The next chapter is devoted to assessment and reviews measures used for assessing exposure and emotional distress symptoms in young people. The next chapter in the section provides an overview of intervention strategies and points out the need for additional research on intervention programs in this unique population. The closing chapter of this section describes the current research regarding the potential impact of cultural differences on post-disaster functioning. The chapter emphasizes the lack of empirical data on the role of ethnicity and cultural contexts on disaster reactions among children and youth.
The next three sections are devoted to detailed reviews of young people’s psychological adjustment in the wake of specific traumatic events: Part 2 consists of four chapters devoted to “Natural Disasters” (i.e., hurricanes and earthquakes, wilderness area and wildfire disasters, floods, and residential fires); Part 3 (four chapters) focuses on “Man-made and Technological Disasters” (i.e., toxic spills and nuclear disasters, mass transportation disasters, dam breaks, and motor vehicle accidents); and Part 4 (four chapters) covers “Acts of Violence” (i.e., exposure to shootings and hostage taking, terrorism, war, and community violence). In each of the chapters, the reasons why the events are considered traumatic and the impact they have been found to have on young peoples’ mental health, the family unit, and the community are explored. Because the text was published in 2002, there are no chapters devoted to the 9/11 terrorist attacks or Hurricane Katrina. However, from our own experience (Weems et al. 2007a, b) we can confidently say the text provides a very useful guide for researchers and clinicians conducting research and providing intervention post-Hurricane Katrina.
Highlights of the chapters on specific types of disasters include detailed accounts of the implementation of interventions in various post-disaster environments. Descriptions of the interventions’ design (e.g., the target population, the qualifications of individuals screening children and youth for intervention, measures used to assess posttraumatic stress and associated symptoms, and the role and qualifications of individuals treating young people) provide clear advice for how to execute assessment and intervention. While case studies illustrate the practical details necessary for using the information in novel contexts. Overall, sections 2 through 4 of the book help to emphasize that although the psychological response to trauma is complex, that there is a need to address the psychological functioning of children and youth exposed to disasters. These sections also provide clues about behaviors and reactions that may warrant intervention, and also identify ways that adults might act during traumatic events (e.g., hostage situations) in order to prevent or lessen the stress reactions of young people post-trauma.
An additional strength of the text is the identification of stumbling blocks for implementing interventions in post-disaster environments. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires, the need for planning and having policies in place that mobilize resources for affected individuals could not be more evident. The book outlines pitfalls of current policy and discusses ways to improve it. Developmental considerations are also embedded throughout the chapters. The roles of age, gender, and ethnicity on young people’s interpretations of traumatic events and coping abilities are discussed as both risk and protective factors for the development of posttraumatic stress problems.
As posited by the editors in the final section of the text, future research needs to move beyond simply identifying child characteristics as predictors of stress responses to understanding why these characteristics are important. They suggest this may be accomplished by the identification of mediators (e.g., variables that explain the link between exposure to disaster and emotional problems) and moderators (e.g., variables that serve to exacerbate or lessen the link between exposure and emotional problems) of the traumatic stress response. The closing chapter also identifies avenues for future policy efforts. These include: raising awareness of the negative mental health implications of disaster exposure for young people and families, improving accessibility of funding for research and clinical intervention related to disasters, developing special certification for mental health professionals, and establishing disaster preparedness plans at the local and state levels.
Reviewer Information
MS, University of New Orleans, 2006
Leslie Taylor is a doctoral student in Applied Developmental Psychology at the University of New Orleans. Her research and clinical interests focus upon the types of events considered traumatic in youth, the phenomenology of PTSD in children and adolescents, and interventions effective for treating traumatized youth.
PhD, Florida International University, 1999
Carl Weems is an associate professor of Psychology at the University of New Orleans. He directs the child and family stress, anxiety, and phobia lab in the department of psychology and is director of the childhood anxiety clinic. His research is on the developmental psychopathology of anxiety and depression. This research integrates developmental, cognitive, biological, and behavioral theories in attempting to understand the assessment, treatment, etiology, and course of internalizing disorders in childhood.