A cognitive developmental approach to understanding how children cope with disasters.
OBJECTIVE
This paper applies cognitive developmental theory to explain how preschoolers, school-age children, and adolescents process and respond to disasters.


OBJECTIVE
To help clinicians understand the disaster experience from a child's point of view, recognize age-specific reactions, identify symptoms that may signal coping difficulties, and plan effective interventions.


METHODS
Case examples from the author's work with flood victims illustrate typical reactions for children (preschool to adolescents) within a family context, along with developmentally appropriate interventions.


CONCLUSIONS
Children affected by disasters need nursing interventions geared toward their particular developmental level and sensitive to their perception of the disaster.
Deering
C G
CG
Clayton College and State University, Morrow, GA, USA. catherinedeering@mail.clayton.edu
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002665:Child Psychiatry; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D002666:Psychology, Child; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*