Analysis of Changes in Traumatic Symptoms and Daily Life Activity of Children Affected by the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami over Time (original) (raw)
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PLoS ONE, 2014
Background: On March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami caused tremendous damage and traumatized several people, including children. The aim of this study was to assess changes in traumatic symptoms 8, 20, and 30 months of the 2011 tsunami. Methods: The study comprised three groups. Copies of the Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms for Children 15 items (PTSSC-15), a self-rating questionnaire on traumatic symptoms, were distributed to 12,524 children (8-month period), 12,193 children (20-month period), and 11,819 children (30-month period). An effective response of children 8 months, 20 months, and 30 month after the disaster was obtained in 11,639 (92.9%), 10,597 (86.9%), and 10,812 children (91.4%), respectively. We calculated the total score, PTSD subscale, and Depression subscale of PTSSC-15. We calculated the total score, PTSD subscale, and Depression subscale of PTSSC-15. Results: The PTSSC-15 total score and PTSD subscale of children belonging to 1st-9th grade groups who were tested 30 and 20 months after the tsunami significantly decreased compared with those of children tested 8 months after the tsunami. The PTSSC-15 total score and PTSD subscale of children in 1st-9th grade groups tested after 30 months did not decrease significantly compared with those of children tested after 20 months. The PTSSC-15 Depression subscale and PTSD subscale of children in 1st-9th grade groups tested after 30 months significantly decreased compared with those of children tested 8 months after the tsunami. The PTSSC-15 Depression subscale of children in 1st-9th grade groups evaluated after 30 months significantly decreased compared with those of children evaluated after 20 months. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the traumatic symptoms of children who survived the massive tsunami improved with time. Nonetheless, the traumatic symptoms, which in some cases did not improve with time.
Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2019
Background: The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and tsunami of March 11, 2011 left behind many survivors, including children. This study aimed to assess changes in traumatic symptoms with time among kindergarteners who experienced GEJE as infants and to discuss the relationship between these symptoms and the disaster experience. Methods: The 15-item Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms for Children (PTSSC-15) questionnaire were distributed to the parents of kindergarteners (children aged 4-5 years) at 8, 20, 30, and 42 months after GEJE. Questionnaires regarding environmental damage conditions affecting the children were distributed to teachers 8 months after the tsunami. Results: The number of kindergarteners was 262, 255, 236, and 202 at 8, 20, 30, and 42 months after the disaster. The PTSSC-15 total score was not different between kindergartners with and without environmental
PLoS ONE, 2012
Background: To evaluate relationships between traumatic symptoms and environmental damage conditions among children who survived the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Methods: The subjects were 12,524 children in kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms for Children 15 items (PTSSC-15), a self-completion questionnaire on traumatic symptoms, was distributed to the children and a questionnaire regarding environmental damage conditions affecting the children was distributed to their teachers. Of 12,524 questionnaires distributed, an effective response was obtained from 11,692 (93.3%). Results: The PTSSC-15 score was significantly higher in females than in males among 4 th to 6 th grade students in elementary schools and among junior high school students. In terms of traumatic symptoms and environmental damage conditions, with the exception of kindergartners, children who had their houses damaged or experienced separation from family members had a significantly higher PTSSC-15 score than children who did not experience environmental damage. Except for kindergartners and 4 th-to 6 th-grade elementary school students, children who experienced evacuation had a significantly higher PTSSC-15 score. Conclusions: This study demonstrated relationships between traumatic symptoms and environmental damage conditions in children who had suffered from the disaster. Factors examined in studying the relationship between environmental damage conditions and traumatic symptoms were gender, age, house damage, evacuation experience, and bereavement experience. It was critical not only to examine the traumatic symptoms of the children but also to collect accurate information about environmental damage conditions.
Objectives To measure psychiatric symptoms exhibited by children in Ishinomaki City, Japan, an area severely damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, at 8 and 20 months post-tsunami to investigate differences in symptom severity and recovery rate by age, sex, and degree of trauma experienced. Study design Prospective data were collected from children in elementary school (5th and 6th grades) and junior high school (8th and 9th grades). Students completed the Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms for Children-15 (PTSSC-15) survey. Trauma severity was scored according to experiences of bereavement, home damage, and evacuation. In total, 3795 PTSSC-15 surveys were analyzed, yielding total scores, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) factor subscores, and depression factor subscores, which were analyzed according to grade group, sex, and degree of trauma (trauma dose).
Prevalence of PTSD in School-Age Population Post Earthquake/Tsunami
Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2015
Epidemiological studies show that the most frequent pathology in children after a traumatic event such as a natural disaster is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reaching a median rate of 40 % across 27 studies with a range of 6-95 %. The strategies used to cope with these traumatic situations are commonly influenced by several risk factors, including the disaster's magnitude and characteristics, individual and familiar premorbid functioning, and sociocultural conditions. Studies show that female gender and younger age are the most vulnerable subpopulation to develop PTSD symptomatology in children. Also, family
PLoS ONE, 2014
Background: On March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by the earthquake and tsunami. Twenty months after the disaster, we collected information on the difficulties faced by parents and teachers in dealing with the post-traumatic symptoms of child survivors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between post-traumatic symptoms in children and parents' and teachers' difficulties in dealing with children who survived the huge disaster. Methods: The subjects included 12,524 children from elementary, middle, and junior high schools in Ishinomaki City. The Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms for Children 15 items (PTSSC-15), a self-rating questionnaire on post-traumatic symptoms, was distributed among the children, and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a self-rating questionnaire on difficulties in dealing with children, was given to their parents and teachers. With PTSSC-15, a valid response was obtained from 10,909 (89.5%) participants. With SDQ for teachers and parents, valid responses were obtained from 10,577 (86.7%) and 7052 (83.9%) participants, respectively. Results: PTSSC-15 scores were significantly higher (P,0.001) in girls than in boys from the junior high school. These effect sizes were less than 0.30. Correlations of teachers' SDQ scores and PTSSC-15 scores were significantly low (r,0.21, P,0.001) for both genders and all children. Likewise, correlations between SDQ scores assigned by parents (excluding ''prosocial behavior'') and PTSSC-15 scores were significantly low (r,0.21, P,0.001) for both genders and at all school levels. Conclusion: This study elucidated that the difficulties faced by parents and teachers while dealing with child survivors significantly low correlate with the child's post-traumatic symptoms caused by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Thus, it is important that clinicians should not only evaluate post-traumatic symptoms with a self-rating questionnaire but also try to objectively evaluate whether there were day-today difficulties caused by the post-traumatic symptoms.
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2017
This study examined the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 101 adolescents for 3 years after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The findings showed that 15.6%, 51.4%, and 18.7% of participants reported clinical symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD 1 year after the earthquake. The effectiveness of a school-based intervention for high-risk students was examined for 3 years. Adolescents who received the intervention at 16 months after the earthquake in 2012 (19.8%), and who received the intervention at 28 months in 2013 (21.8%) showed improved anxiety symptoms. However, 37.6% students showed no intervention effect, despite undergoing the intervention twice. Overall, high school students with poor psychological test scores in their first year might require help from a specialized agency, such as a hospital with a pediatric psychiatry department.
Assessment of Psychopathological Consequences in Children at 3 Years after Tsunami Disaster
2008
At 1 year after the Tsunami disaster, 30% of students in two high risk schools at Takuapa district of Phang Nga Province still suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The number of patients was sharply declined after 18 months. The psychological consequences in children who diagnosed PTSD after the event were reinvestigated again at 3 years, as there were reports of significant comorbidity and continuing of subsyndromal post traumatic stress symptoms in children suffered from other disasters. Objective: To assess psychological outcomes and factors contributed at 3-year follow up time in children diagnosed PTSD at 1-year after the Tsunami disaster. Material and Method: There were 45 students who were diagnosed PTSD at 1-year after the disaster. At 3-year follow up time, clinical interview for psychiatric diagnosis was done by psychiatrists. Results: 11.1% of students who had been diagnosed as PTSD at 1-year after Tsunami still had chronic PTSD and 15% had either depressive disorder or anxiety disorder. 25% of students completely recovered from mental disorders. Nearly 50% of students were categorized in partial remission or subsyndromal PTSD group. Factors which influenced long-term outcomes were prior history of trauma and severe physical injury from the disaster.
Children's and parents' posttraumatic stress reactions after the 2004 tsunami
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2011
This study examined the association between parents' and children's posttraumatic stress reactions after the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia in 2004. Parents of 319 Norwegian children and adolescents aged 6-18 years reported on children's exposure to the tsunami and children's immediate subjective responses. The Child Stress Disorder Checklist was used to measure children's posttraumatic stress reactions 6-8 months after the tsunami, and the Impact of Event Scale Revised measured parental PTSD. Results indicated that parents' posttraumatic stress reactions significantly predicted PTSD reactions in their children. The strongest association was found for parental intrusive reactions and hyperarousal. Highly exposed children seemed to be more vulnerable to parental distress compared to children with lower levels of exposure. The study demonstrates that parental distress can endure and worsen the impact of a disaster in children. In assessments of trauma-related consequences and in therapeutic work with children clinicians need to expand the focus to include their parents and family.