TY - JOUR PY - 2013// TI - War and tsunami PTSD responses in Sri Lankan children: primacy of reexperiencing and arousal compared to avoidance-numbing JO - Journal of aggression, maltreatment and trauma A1 - Soysa, Champika K. SP - 896 EP - 915 VL - 22 IS - 8 N2 - This article addresses post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in Sri Lankan children in response to war and the 2004 tsunami. Exposure to war and the tsunami each predicted severity of posttraumatic symptomatology. In both studies, reexperiencing and arousal symptoms were reported more than avoidance-numbing. Furthermore, symptom severity was greater in groups reporting many symptoms compared to those reporting fewer symptoms, and there was no difference in symptom severity when the DSM-IV set of six symptoms was compared to a different set of 6 symptoms (with just one avoidance-numbing symptom). The relative primacy of reexperiencing and arousal symptoms are highlighted in this understudied South Asian population, informing cultural variation in diagnostic criteria and clinical interventions for post-traumatic stress symptoms.

LA - en SN - 1092-6771 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2013.824056 ID - ref1 ER -