School based post disaster mental health services: decreased trauma symptoms in youth with multiple traumas

Abstract

Children exposed to disasters are at an increased likelihood for multiple trauma exposure. The objective of our study is to understand the efficacy of post disaster school based services for reducing trauma symptoms of youth exposed to multiple traumatic events. Students (N = 112) age 8–17 that were survivors of Hurricane Katrina received individual treatment for multiple traumas on site at school. We used repeated measures ANOVA to investigate the effectiveness in self-reported trauma symptoms over time. Results indicated significant reduction in overall posttraumatic stress symptoms as well as subscales assessing anxiety, anger, depression, dissociation, overt dissociation, and fantasy dissociation. The school based services for students with multiple traumas were effective at reducing trauma symptoms following disaster.

Keywords:

• Trauma
• traumatic events
• posttraumatic stress
• post disaster
• school services