"Children who are exposed to traumatic events are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if their parents suffer from PTSD as well, even if the child’s traumatic experience is unrelated to the parents’. So say researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, who recently published their findings in the Journal of Depression & Anxiety....
"The researchers examined the relationship between post-traumatic symptoms, and socio-demographic and family variables (such as family size or socioeconomic status), as well as psychosomatic symptoms among children who were exposed to Grad missile attacks in the city during Operation Cast Lead, which lasted from the end of December 2008 to January 2009. They interviewed 160 mothers of preschool children (aged four to six-and-a-half) about post-traumatic and psychosomatic symptoms their children experienced, as well as about the mothers’ own response to the war....
"The symptoms are somewhat different in school-aged children, who may not have flashbacks or problems remembering parts of the trauma, the way adults with PTSD often do. However, children might put the events of the trauma in the wrong order. They might also think there were signs that the trauma was going to happen, and therefore think they will see these signs again before another trauma occurs...."
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