Parenting support and PTSD in children of a war zone.
BACKGROUND
The protective role of parenting factors on the mental well-being of children exposed to war trauma remains an under-researched area.


OBJECTIVE
To establish the relationship between perceived positive parenting support and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children exposed to war trauma.


METHODS
A random sample of 412 children aged 12-16 years was selected from the Gaza Strip and was assessed using the Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist (GTEC), the SCID (DSM-IV) and the Perceived Parenting Support Scale (PPSS).


RESULTS
Palestinian children were exposed to different types of war-traumatic events. The number of exposed traumatic events was independently associated with the severity of post-traumatic symptoms scores or the diagnosis of PTSD, while perceived parenting support was found to act as a protective factor in this association.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions in war zones need to ensure the minimal possible disruption to communities and family units, and to involve parents in preventive or treatment programmes for children exposed to trauma.
Thabet
A A
AA
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Al Quds University, School of Public Health, Gaza.
Ibraheem
A N
AN
Shivram
R
R
Winter
E A
EA
Vostanis
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011594:Psychometrics; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014857:Warfare