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Children Following the Ghislenghien Gas Explosion: PTSD Predictors and Risk Factors

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Abstract

This paper describes the risk factors for the development of posttraumatic stress reactions in children after a technological disaster in Ghislenghien, Belgium in 2004. Children were assessed at five months (T1, N = 128) and at fourteen months (T2; N = 69). At T1 and T2 respectively, 7 % and 4 % of the responding children showed severe posttraumatic stress reactions. Of those who showed posttraumatic stress reactions at T1, 60 % recovered from these symptoms at T2. One child developed severe posttraumatic stress reactions between T1 and T2. Risk factors related to posttraumatic stress reactions were: (a) type of exposure to the disaster; (b) peritraumatic dissociation during or immediately after the disaster; and (c) dissatisfaction with the received psychological help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Higher Institute for Defence, 30 Avenue de la Renaissance, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Erik De Soir

  2. Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    Emmanuelle Zech

  3. Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Eva Alisic

  4. University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Ann Versporten

  5. Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium

    Herman Van Oyen

  6. Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Rolf Kleber & Onno van der Hart

  7. Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium

    Jacques Mylle

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  1. Erik De Soir
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  2. Emmanuelle Zech
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Correspondence to Erik De Soir.

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De Soir, E., Zech, E., Alisic, E. et al. Children Following the Ghislenghien Gas Explosion: PTSD Predictors and Risk Factors. Journ Child Adol Trauma 7, 51–62 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-014-0002-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-014-0002-3

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