This project will examine the psychosocial and psychiatric effects of disaster on children and their parents by conducting a controlled follow-up study of families with children, ages 3-18 years of age, from three communities which experienced severe flooding during late 1982 and Spring 1983. Approximately 150 families (200 children) will be interviewed including: 70 families from Times Beach, a confirmed dioxin site; 40 families from Buscher Bottoms, a suspected dioxin site to be tested by the EPA in March or April 1984; and 40 families from Montgomery Subdivision, a neighboring area similarly flooded but without the threat of dioxin. A pilot study is currently in progress collecting baseline data from parents and children in both Buscher Bottoms and Montgomery Subdivision prior to the residents' awareness of suspected dioxin and involving re-interviews with residents one month after EPA test results are announced. Parents in Times Beach are presently being interviewed to assess consequences of the double disaster one year later for themselves and their families. We propose to interview for a third time the families from the pilot study and to add children from Times Beach whose parents were previously studied. Information from the pilot study will provide psychiatric status prior to awareness of the threat of dioxin as well as shortly after the test results are announced, thus allowing us to measure the effect of exposure on psychiatric symptoms. The results of this study will advance the methodology of including children in studies of catastrophic events and will increase knowledge regarding the impact of disaster. It will also be possible to identify pre-existing risk factors that augment or reduce the impact of disaster. This information will assist in identification of those in need of services and in planning future services.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01MH040025-01
Application #
3377909
Study Section
(LCRA)
Project Start
1986-02-10
Project End
1988-01-31
Budget Start
1986-02-10
Budget End
1987-01-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
062761671
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
North, Carol S; Baron, David; Chen, Anthony F (2018) Prevalence and predictors of postdisaster major depression: Convergence of evidence from 11 disaster studies using consistent methods. J Psychiatr Res 102:96-101
Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; North, Carol S et al. (2014) Children of terrorism survivors: physiological reactions seven years following a terrorist incident. Compr Psychiatry 55:749-54
North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Hong, Barry A et al. (2013) Workplace response of companies exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack: a focus-group study. Disasters 37:101-18
Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; North, Carol S et al. (2012) Autonomic reactivity and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation in spouses of Oklahoma City bombing survivors 7 years after the attack. Compr Psychiatry 53:901-6
North, Carol S; Cloninger, C Robert (2012) Personality and Major Depression among Directly Exposed Survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing. Depress Res Treat 2012:204741
North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Kawasaki, Aya et al. (2011) Psychosocial adjustment of directly exposed survivors 7 years after the Oklahoma City bombing. Compr Psychiatry 52:1-8
North, Carol S; Hong, Barry A; Suris, Alina et al. (2008) Distinguishing distress and psychopathology among survivors of the Oakland/Berkeley firestorm. Psychiatry 71:35-45
North, Carol S; Pollio, David E; Pfefferbaum, Betty et al. (2005) Capitol hill staff workers' experiences of bioterrorism: qualitative findings from focus groups. J Trauma Stress 18:79-88
North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Narayanan, Pushpa et al. (2005) Comparison of post-disaster psychiatric disorders after terrorist bombings in Nairobi and Oklahoma City. Br J Psychiatry 186:487-93
North, Carol S; Pollio, David E; Pfefferbaum, Betty et al. (2005) Concerns of Capitol Hill staff workers after bioterrorism: focus group discussions of authorities' response. J Nerv Ment Dis 193:523-7

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