TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Adjustment among area youth after the Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt
JO  - Pediatrics
A1  - Comer, Jonathan S.
A1  - Dantowitz, Annie
A1  - Chou, Tommy
A1  - Edson, Aubrey L.
A1  - Elkins, R. Meredith
A1  - Kerns, Caroline
A1  - Brown, Bonnie
A1  - Green, Jennifer Greif
SP  - 7
EP  - 14
VL  - 134
IS  - 1
N2  - BACKGROUND: The majority of research on terrorism-exposed youth has examined large-scale terrorism with mass casualties. Limited research has examined children's reactions to terrorism of the scope of the Boston Marathon bombing. Furthermore, the extraordinary postattack interagency manhunt and shelter-in-place warning made for a truly unprecedented experience in its own right for families. Understanding the psychological adjustment of Boston-area youth in the aftermath of these events is critical for informing clinical efforts.<br><br>METHODS: Survey of Boston-area parents/caretakers (N = 460) reporting on their child's experiences during the attack week, as well as psychosocial functioning in the first 6 attack months.<br><br>RESULTS: There was heterogeneity across youth in attack- and manhunt-related experiences and clinical outcomes. The proportion of youth with likely attack/manhunt-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was roughly 6 times higher among Boston Marathon-attending youth than nonattending youth. Attack and manhunt experiences each uniquely predicted 9% of PTSD symptom variance, with manhunt exposures more robustly associated than attack-related exposures with a range of psychosocial outcomes, including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer problems. One-fifth of youth watched >3 hours of televised coverage on the attack day, which was linked to PTSD symptoms, conduct problems, and total difficulties. Prosocial behavior and positive peer functioning buffered the impact of exposure.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Clinical efforts must maintain a broadened focus beyond simply youth present at the blasts and must also include youth highly exposed to the intense interagency pursuit and manhunt. Continued research is needed to understand the adjustment of youth after mass traumas and large-scale manhunts in residential communities.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0031-4005
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-4115
ID  - ref1
ER  -