Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increased understanding of the complex determinants of adverse child mental health outcomes following acute stress such as natural disasters has led to a resurgence of interest in the role of parent psychopathology and parenting. The...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2012-07-01
|
| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/12/55 |
| _version_ | 1811319021658701824 |
|---|---|
| author | McDermott Brett M Cobham Vanessa E |
| author_facet | McDermott Brett M Cobham Vanessa E |
| author_sort | McDermott Brett M |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increased understanding of the complex determinants of adverse child mental health outcomes following acute stress such as natural disasters has led to a resurgence of interest in the role of parent psychopathology and parenting. The authors investigated whether family functioning in the post-disaster environment would be impaired relative to a non-exposed sample and potential correlates with family functioning such as disaster-related exposure and child posttraumatic mental health symptoms.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three months after a category 5 tropical cyclone that impacted north Queensland Australia, school-based screening was undertaken to case identify children who may benefit from a mental health intervention. Along with obtaining informed consent, parents completed a measure of family functioning.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 145 families of children aged 8 to 12 years, 28.3% met criteria for dysfunction on the Family Adjustment Device, double the frequency in a community sample. The dysfunction group was significantly more likely to have experienced more internalising (anxiety/depression) symptoms. However, in an adjusted logistic regression model this group were not more likely to have elevated disaster-related exposure nor did children in these families validate more PTSD symptoms.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The implications of post-disaster discordant family functioning and possible different causal pathways for depressive and PTSD-related symptomatic responses to traumatic events are discussed.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:36:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-101497fcf7724b90a3813f72bb86ea0f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:36:01Z |
| publishDate | 2012-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-101497fcf7724b90a3813f72bb86ea0f2022-12-22T02:46:40ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2012-07-011215510.1186/1471-244X-12-55Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disasterMcDermott Brett MCobham Vanessa E<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increased understanding of the complex determinants of adverse child mental health outcomes following acute stress such as natural disasters has led to a resurgence of interest in the role of parent psychopathology and parenting. The authors investigated whether family functioning in the post-disaster environment would be impaired relative to a non-exposed sample and potential correlates with family functioning such as disaster-related exposure and child posttraumatic mental health symptoms.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three months after a category 5 tropical cyclone that impacted north Queensland Australia, school-based screening was undertaken to case identify children who may benefit from a mental health intervention. Along with obtaining informed consent, parents completed a measure of family functioning.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 145 families of children aged 8 to 12 years, 28.3% met criteria for dysfunction on the Family Adjustment Device, double the frequency in a community sample. The dysfunction group was significantly more likely to have experienced more internalising (anxiety/depression) symptoms. However, in an adjusted logistic regression model this group were not more likely to have elevated disaster-related exposure nor did children in these families validate more PTSD symptoms.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The implications of post-disaster discordant family functioning and possible different causal pathways for depressive and PTSD-related symptomatic responses to traumatic events are discussed.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/12/55 |
| spellingShingle | McDermott Brett M Cobham Vanessa E Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster BMC Psychiatry |
| title | Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster |
| title_full | Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster |
| title_fullStr | Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster |
| title_full_unstemmed | Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster |
| title_short | Family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster |
| title_sort | family functioning in the aftermath of a natural disaster |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/12/55 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mcdermottbrettm familyfunctioningintheaftermathofanaturaldisaster AT cobhamvanessae familyfunctioningintheaftermathofanaturaldisaster |