Disasters and youth: a meta-analytic examination of posttraumatic stress.
OBJECTIVE
Meta-analyze the literature on posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in youths post-disaster.


METHODS
Meta-analytic synthesis of the literature (k = 96 studies; Ntotal = 74,154) summarizing the magnitude of associations between disasters and youth PTS, and key factors associated with variations in the magnitude of these associations. We included peer-reviewed studies published prior to 1/1/2009 that quantitatively examined youth PTS (≤ 18 years at event) after a distinct and identifiable disaster.


RESULTS
Despite variability across studies, disasters had a significant effect on youth PTS (small-to-medium magnitude; rpooled = .19, SEr = .03; d = 0.4). Female gender (rpooled = .14), higher death toll (disasters of death toll ≤ 25: rpooled = .09; vs. disasters with ≥ 1,000 deaths: rpooled = .22), child proximity (rpooled = .33), personal loss (rpooled = .16), perceived threat (rpooled = .34), and distress (rpooled = .38) at time of event were each associated with increased PTS. Studies conducted within 1 year post-disaster, studies that used established measures, and studies that relied on child-report data identified a significant effect.


CONCLUSIONS
Youths are vulnerable to appreciable PTS after disaster, with pre-existing child characteristics, aspects of the disaster experience, and study methodology each associated with variations in the effect magnitude. Findings underscore the importance of measurement considerations in post-disaster research. Areas in need of research include the long-term impact of disasters, disaster-related media exposure, prior trauma and psychopathology, social support, ethnicity/race, prejudice, parental psychopathology, and the effects of disasters in developing regions of the world. Policy and clinical implications are discussed.
Department of Psychology, Boston University, USA.
Jami M
JM
Furr
Jonathan S
JS
Comer
Julie M
JM
Edmunds
Philip C
PC
Kendall
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*