Active war in Sri Lanka: Children ’s war exposure, coping, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in response to active war is understudied among Sinhalese children in Sri Lanka. We investigated PTSD symptom severity in children using child (n = 60) and mother (n = 60) reports; child-reported war exposure and coping; as well as self-reported maternal PTSD symptom severity. The study addressed active war in 2 rural locations (acute and chronic community war exposure). Child-reports were significantly greater than mother-reports of child PTSD symptom severity. Furthermore, children ’s war exposure, child-reported and mother-reported child PTSD symptom severity, and maternal PTSD symptom severity were significantly greater in the acute versus chronic community war exposure location, but children’s approach and avoidance coping did not significantly differ, indicating a pote ntial ceiling effect. Children’s war exposure significantly, positively predicted child-reported child PTSD symptom severity, controlling for age, gender, and maternal PTSD symptom severity, but only maternal PTSD symptom severity significantly, positively predicted mother-reported child PTSD symp tom severity. Avoidance coping (in both acute and chronic war) significantly positively mediated the children’s war exposure−child-reported child PTSD symptom severity relation, but not mother-reports of the same. Approach coping (in chronic but not acute war) significantly, positively mediated the children’s war exposure−child-reported and mother-reported child...
Source: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research