Gulf War-related trauma and psychological distress of Kuwaiti children and their mothers.
Author: Hadi F, Llabre MM, Spitzer S.
Source:
Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 19(5), 653-662.
The participants were 111 Kuwaiti boys and girls and 59 mothers assessed in 1993
and 2003 to determine exposure to war-related trauma during the Iraqi occupation
and subsequent psychological distress. Children were classified into four groups
based on what happened to their fathers during the occupation: killed, missing,
arrested, or unharmed. The results indicate that the group whose fathers were
arrested had the highest level of posttraumatic stress symptoms and the highest
level of depression and anxiety in 2003. In 1993, the highest levels of
depression for children and their mothers were observed in those whose
fathers-husbands were killed or missing relative to controls. Long-term effects
of war-related trauma in children may be influenced by the war experience of
their fathers.
Publication Types:
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't