Hurricane Sandy can leave long-lasting psychological impact on children and teens, health experts warn.
According to psychologist Dr. Esther Deblinger, children who experienced major losses during natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy are at higher risks of displaying symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) like depression, aggressive behavior, sleeplessness and withdrawal.
Post traumatic disorder is a severe anxiety disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event. PTSD patients relive their traumatic experiences through memories, flashbacks or nightmares and try avoiding anything that reminds them of the trauma.
"The lasting emotional impact of a storm like this can be more devastating than the physical damage the storm caused," Dr. Deblinger, co-director of the Child Abuse Research, Education and Service (CARES) Institute at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine, said in a news release. "Stress, anxiety and depression can affect anyone who experiences a natural disaster that results in the sudden loss of home or relocation to unfamiliar surroundings. The effect can be especially troubling on children and adolescents who don't have the same ability as adults to anticipate and cope with trauma."
Following are some recommendations from Dr. Deblinger for parents and caregivers to help children overcome the emotional impact of Hurricane Sandy:
* Try to follow normal routines involving family meals and bedtime stories.
* Discourage children watching media coverage on Hurricane Sandy. The shocking images can trigger anxiety among children.
* Show confidence in front of the children to overcome impact of the storm
Dr. Deblinger recommends parents to seek medical help when children start exhibiting symptoms of the stress disorder and symptoms do not subside by itself.
"Decades of research have shown that some children, particularly those who have experienced multiple trauma(s), don't eventually 'get over' or 'outgrow' their experiences," she explained. "Left to recover on their own, some children and adolescents may turn to alcohol, drugs and/or other ineffective ways of coping with the distressing feelings and debilitating symptoms associated with PTSD."
According to The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, parents should take some extra precautions to help children cope up with the disaster by creating a safe place, comforting them, explaining the whole incident in a language more easy for children to understand and not allowing children to watch disaster coverage on TV or radio.
