Impact of a natural disaster on preschool children: adjustment 14 months after a hurricane

Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1996 Jan;66(1):122-30. doi: 10.1037/h0080162.

Abstract

Fourteen months after a hurricane, young children who had experienced the storm showed significantly higher anxiety and withdrawal and more behavior problems than did children who had not. Behavioral problems decreased steadily over the six months following the storm. Mothers' distress in the hurricane's aftermath was associated with the longevity of their children's emotional and behavioral difficulties.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child Behavior / psychology*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disasters*
  • Humans
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Psychological Tests
  • Time Factors