Abstract
Introduction: The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most frequent consequences of exposure to natural disasters, disabling both children and adults.
Objectives: To describe prevalence of probable PTSD in children who experienced the disaster that occurred in southern Chile in February 2010.
Methodology: The sample consisted of 1,300 participants aged 9-16 from the Bío Bío region. The study took place six months after the event occurred. The Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) and a questionnaire to assess socio-demographic aspects and potential PTSD predictors were used.
Results: The overall rate of probable PTSD was 30.4% in the young population of females and 15.0% in males. The most strongly linked factors to the presence of PTSD were deteriorating family relationships after the event and intense fear and life threatening experiences during the event.
Conclusions: Results show the need for implementing preventive programs on young population affected by disasters that also include the response of the families involved.
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