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Weathering the Storm: Persistent Effects and Psychological First Aid with Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

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Abstract

There is a growing body of research on mental health outcomes among, and interventions with, children exposed to disaster. A recommended form of postdisaster intervention is psychological first aid (PFA). This research examines the use of a 6-week PFA group intervention among children ages 5 to 15 displaced due to Hurricane Katrina. Within 20 months post-Katrina, children participated in the Weathering the Storm Psychological First Aid (WTS PFA) groups in public schools and at a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer park. A total of 99 children (95% African American) completed the WTS PFA intervention. Mean posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores remained in the moderate range two years postevent. Postintervention scores reflect a statistically significant improvement in PTSD symptoms among the sample.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Louisiana State University, 311 Huey P. Long Fieldhouse, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Daphne S. Cain, Carol A. Plummer & Rakinzie M. Fisher

  2. Baton Rouge Children’s Health Project, USA

    Toni Q. Bankston

Authors
  1. Daphne S. Cain
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  2. Carol A. Plummer
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  3. Rakinzie M. Fisher
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  4. Toni Q. Bankston
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Correspondence to Daphne S. Cain.

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Cain, D.S., Plummer, C.A., Fisher, R.M. et al. Weathering the Storm: Persistent Effects and Psychological First Aid with Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Journ Child Adol Trauma 3, 330–343 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1080/19361521.2010.523063

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19361521.2010.523063

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