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Television exposure in children after a terrorist incident.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Pfefferbaum, B; Nixon, SJ; Tivis, RD; Doughty, DE; Pynoos, RS; Gurwitch, RH; Foy, DW
Published in: Psychiatry
2001

This study examined the influence of bomb-related television viewing in the context of physical and emotional exposure on posttraumatic stress symptoms--intrusion, avoidance, and arousal--in middle school students following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Over 2,000 middle school students in Oklahoma City were surveyed 7 weeks after the incident. The primary outcome measures were the total posttraumatic stress symptom score and symptom cluster scores at the time of assessment. Bomb-related television viewing in the aftermath of the disaster was extensive. Both emotional and television exposure were associated with posttraumatic stress at 7 weeks. Among children with no physical or emotional exposure, the degree of television exposure was directly related to posttraumatic stress symptomatology. These findings suggest that television viewing in the aftermath of a disaster may make a small contribution to subsequent posttraumatic stress symptomatology in children or that increased television viewing may be a sign of current distress and that it should be monitored. Future research should examine further whether early symptoms predict increased television viewing and/or whether television viewing predicts subsequent symptoms.

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Published In

Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0033-2747

Publication Date

2001

Volume

64

Issue

3

Start / End Page

202 / 211

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Terrorism
  • Television
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Child Behavior
  • Child
  • 52 Psychology
  • 42 Health sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Pfefferbaum, B., Nixon, S. J., Tivis, R. D., Doughty, D. E., Pynoos, R. S., Gurwitch, R. H., & Foy, D. W. (2001). Television exposure in children after a terrorist incident. Psychiatry, 64(3), 202–211. https://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.64.3.202.18462
Pfefferbaum, B., S. J. Nixon, R. D. Tivis, D. E. Doughty, R. S. Pynoos, R. H. Gurwitch, and D. W. Foy. “Television exposure in children after a terrorist incident.Psychiatry 64, no. 3 (2001): 202–11. https://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.64.3.202.18462.
Pfefferbaum B, Nixon SJ, Tivis RD, Doughty DE, Pynoos RS, Gurwitch RH, et al. Television exposure in children after a terrorist incident. Psychiatry. 2001;64(3):202–11.
Pfefferbaum, B., et al. “Television exposure in children after a terrorist incident.Psychiatry, vol. 64, no. 3, 2001, pp. 202–11. Pubmed, doi:10.1521/psyc.64.3.202.18462.
Pfefferbaum B, Nixon SJ, Tivis RD, Doughty DE, Pynoos RS, Gurwitch RH, Foy DW. Television exposure in children after a terrorist incident. Psychiatry. 2001;64(3):202–211.

Published In

Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0033-2747

Publication Date

2001

Volume

64

Issue

3

Start / End Page

202 / 211

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Terrorism
  • Television
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Child Behavior
  • Child
  • 52 Psychology
  • 42 Health sciences