Posttraumatic stress among young children after the death of a friend or acquaintance in a terrorist bombing.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

The effects of traumatic loss on children who reported a friend or acquaintance killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of a federal office building were examined. Twenty-seven children who lost a friend or acquaintance and 27 demographically matched controls were assessed eight to ten months after the bombing. All but three of the children continued to experience posttraumatic stress symptoms. Those who lost a friend watched significantly more bombing-related television coverage than those without losses. Those who lost a friend had significantly more posttraumatic stress symptoms at the time of the assessment than those who lost an acquaintance. Parents and those working with children should be alert to the impact of loss even when it involves nonrelatives.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Pfefferbaum, B; Gurwitch, RH; McDonald, NB; Leftwich, MJ; Sconzo, GM; Messenbaugh, AK; Schultz, RA

Published Date

  • March 2000

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 51 / 3

Start / End Page

  • 386 - 388

PubMed ID

  • 10686250

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1075-2730

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1176/appi.ps.51.3.386

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States