title: Psychological adjustment of adolescents 18 months after the terrorist attack in Beslan, Russia: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children exposed to terrorism are at high risk for developing emotional and behavioral problems, but only a few studies have examined adolescents' long-term psychological adjustment after a terrorist attack. We aimed to assess psychological distress, problem behaviors, and coping in adolescents who survived the terrorist attack on School No. 1 in Beslan, Russia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one youths aged 14 to 17 years held as hostages by terrorists completed self-reported measures of psychological symptoms, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and coping behaviors 18 months after the traumatic event. They were compared with 100 adolescents who were not directly exposed to the attack. Data were collected during a 1-month period in May 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between the 2 groups in overall levels of psychological symptoms as well as in emotional and behavioral problems. Girls in both groups reported significantly more psychological distress (p = .0001) and total difficulties (p = .0001) than boys. In the directly exposed group, avoidant coping was related to worse psychological functioning for girls (r = 0.54, p < .001) and boys (r = 0.50, p < .01), whereas in the indirectly exposed group this strategy was associated with psychological distress (r = 0.43, p < .01) and total difficulties (r = 0.40, p < .01) for girls only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than 1 year after a terrorist attack, adolescents may experience psychological distress regardless of being directly or indirectly exposed. Professionals working with adolescents affected by terrorism should be sensitive to developmental level and gender, consider the cultural context, and foster coping skills that may be differentially effective for girls and boys.
authors: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Italy. ughetta.moscardino@unipd.it
authors: Ughetta
authors: U
authors: Moscardino
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Scrimin
authors: Fabia
authors: F
authors: Capello
authors: Gianmarco
authors: G
authors: Altoè
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: Axia
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D023481:Terrorism; D013997:Time Factors