Children still at trauma risk weeks after quake

Children still at trauma risk weeks after earthquake

A specialist in responses to trauma says Canterbury children may still be experiencing anxiety and stress nearly three weeks after the devastating September 4 earthquake.

Associate Professor Steven Little from the University’s College of Education says it remains important for parents and caregivers to monitor any changes in children's behaviour. Possible behaviour changes include fear of being separated from parents, sleep disturbances, and regression of habits such as thumb sucking and bed-wetting.

“Primary age children may also have difficulty concentrating in schools, possibly even refusing to go to school, and exhibiting somatic complaints, such as stomach-aches and feelings of guilt or anger," Dr Little says.

Children from families unable to return to their regular routines because their homes are unsafe or do not have water supplies and functional toilets are more at risk. “It’s difficult to return to normalcy after a major disaster but any sense of a normal routine is highly beneficial for children,” he says.

“Consistency and routine are comforting to children and parents can set a good example by limiting their own distress when in front of their children, and communicating their feelings openly. Children can be encouraged to communicate their own feelings, by writing about the event and planning for the future. However, if they don’t want to talk about it, that needs to be respected also.”

Some long-term effects will depend on the individual child and may be influenced by whether or not they have been victims of trauma in the past. “Those children are more likely to experience negative effects of a natural disaster trauma. Some though, will experience post-traumatic growth in which they actually show improvement in some areas of their lives.”

Dr Little has expertise in the area of children’s responses to trauma, particularly post natural disaster and has training in working with children post trauma. He and his wife assisted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the United States.

“Miraculously, there was no loss of life in Christchurch and I would not expect a high number of children needing intensive intervention. What is important is to monitor behaviour changes and the level of support the child has now and has had prior to the disaster.”

ENDS