Preschool Israeli Children Exposed to Rocket Attacks: Assessment, Risk, and Resilience. Issue 5 (24th September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wolmer, Leo; Hamiel, Daniel; Versano‐Eisman, Tali; Slone, Michelle; Margalit, Nitzan; Laor, Nathaniel
• Is Part Of: Journal of traumatic stress. Volume 28:Issue 5(2015)
• Page Start: 441
• Page End: 447
• Publication Date: 2015-09-24
• Subjects: Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Periodicals; 616.8521
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.22040
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0894-9867

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Preschool children are among the most vulnerable populations to adversity. This study described the effects of 4 weeks of daily exposure to rocket attacks on children living on Israel's southern border. Participants enrolled in this study were 122 preschool children (50% boys) between the ages 3 and 6 years from 10 kindergartens. We assessed mothers' report of children's symptoms according to the <italic>DSM‐IV</italic> and alternative criteria resembling the <italic>DSM‐5</italic> criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), general adaptation, traumatic exposure, and stressful life events 3 months after the war. The prevalence of PTSD was lower when the diagnosis was derived from the <italic>DSM‐IV</italic> (4%) than from the <italic>DSM‐5</italic> criteria (14%). Mothers of children with 4 or more stressful life events reported more functional impairment in social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning compared to children with 0 or 1 stressful life event. Children with more severe exposure showed more severe symptoms and mothers had more concerns about the child's functioning (η_{<italic>p</italic>}² = .09–.25). Stressful life events and exposure to traumatic experiences accounted for 32% of the variance in PTSD and 19% of the variance in the adaptation scale. Results were explored in terms of risk and resilience factors.</p> </abstract>