Anxiety in quake-stricken children aged 3 to 7: A screening study in Sarpol- Zahab, Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah

Abstract

The present study is conducted to screen cases suspected to the anxiety in quake-stricken children aged 3-7 in Sarpol Zehab in 2017.The method was descriptive with screening design. Data was collected by Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS) from 499 mothers with children aged 3 to 7 in Sarpol Zahab city. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS-23 software.The study showed the overall point prevalence for anxiety as 0.47. The highest and lowest prevalence were related to the aspects of physical injury (52%) and separation anxiety (34.3%). In addition, comparing the two groups showed no significant differences in term of anxiety and its components between the two genders. the mean of anxiety prevalence among quake-stricken children was 47%, which was higher than the prevalence of anxiety disorder and its mean in the populations of the previous studies. Given the high effects of stressful events in childhood and the significance of children's mental health in natural disasters, such as quakes, the need for psychological interventions for accurate diagnosis and provision of psychological services to children and families are felt more than ever.

Keywords


Ak , B.(2014).Determination and evaluation of effects of earthquake on school age children’s (6-12 years old) behaviors. Social and Behavioral Sciences 152 (2014) 845 – 851. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.09.332
Anderson, J., M. R. (1987). “DSM-III disorders in preadolescent children”. Archives of General psychiatry, 44, 69-76. DOI: 10.1001/ archpsyc.1987. 01800130081010
Chorpita, B. (2007). Cognitive-behavioral therapy of anxiety in children (unitary approach), Translated by Katayoun Hellmi. Tehran: Arjmand Publication.
 
Costello, E. J, Angold, A., Burns, B. J., Stangl D. K.,Tweed, D. L., Erkanli, A. (1996). The Great Smoky Mountains Study of Youth: Goals, design, methods, and the prevalence of DSM-III-R disorders”. Archives of Genetic Psychiatry, 53, 1129–1136. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830120067012.
 
Costello, E.JMustillo SErkanli AKeeler GAngold A.(2003).Prevalence and development of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Arch Gen Psychiatry. ;60(8): 837-44.DOI: 10.1001/ archpsyc.60.8.837
 
Egger, H. L., & Angold, A. (2006). Common emotional and behavioral disorders in preschool children: Presentation, nosology, and epidemiology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47 (3&4), 313-337. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01618.x
Erkan, S. (2009). The effects of earthquakes on the behavioral and emotional problems of preschoolers. The Social Sciences, 4(4), 347-354. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.2019254175
Farhudian, A., Sharifi, V. (2006). Evaluation of the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and its symptoms in survivors of the Bam earthquake. New findings in Cognitive science.8(3).2-4.
Ghanbari, S., Rabieinejad, R., Ganjeh, P., Khorramzadeh, S. (2011). Psychometric Properties of Pre-school Children's Anxiety Scale. Transformational Psychology (Iranian Psychologists: Volume 10, Issue 37; pp: 29-37.
Giannopoulou, I., Dikaiakou, A., & Yule, W.(2006).Cognitive-behavioral group intervention for PTSD symptoms in children following the Athens 1999 earthquake: a pilot study. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. ;11(4):543-53.DOI: 10.1177/1359104506067876
Goengian, A.K, Pynoos, R.S, Steinberg, A.M.(1995). Psychiatric comorbidity in children after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatr. 1995; 34(9); 1174-84.DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199509000-00015
Heim, CNemeroff, C.B.(2001).The role of childhood trauma in the neurobiology of mood and anxiety disorders: preclinical and clinical studies. Biol Psychiatry. 2001 Jun 15;49(12):1023-39. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01157-x
Immonen, J., Jääskeläinen, E., Korpela ,H., Miettunen, J.(2017). Age at onset and the outcomes of schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry. 11(6):453–460. doi: 10.1111/eip.12412. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef].
Kaplan, H.E.,  Saduk, B.J. (2003). Summary of psychiatry, translated by Dr. Hassan Rafiei (2003) Dr. Khosro Sajanian. Arjomand Publications P 191. https://doi.org/10.1345/aph.1D134
Kendall, P.C., Compton, S.N., Walkup, J.T., Birmaher, B., Albano, A.M., Sherrill, J., et al.(2010). Clinical characteristics of anxiety disordered youth. J Anxiety Disord. 2010; 24(3): 360-5. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.01.009
Khosravi, Sh.(2003). Epidemiological study of mental disorders in the population over15 years in rural and urban city Boroujen. J Shahrekord Univ Med Sci.; 4(4): 31-9.
Kousky, C.(2014)., “Informing Climate Adaptation: A Review of the Economic Costs of Natural Disasters,” Energy Economics 46 (2014): 576–92, doi: 10.1016/j.eneco.2013.09.029.
Margolin, G., Ramos, C.M., & Guran, L.E. (2010). Earthquakes and children: The role of psychologists with families and communities. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 41(1), 1–9.
Michael, S., Scheeringa & Lauren, C. B.(2018)Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Very Young Children: First Case Reports on Stability and Developmental Considerations. journal of Case Rep Psychiatry. Published online 2018 Sep 24. doi: 10.1155/2018/7093178
Mohammadi, M.R., Davidian, H., Noorbala, A.A., Malekafzali, H., Naghavi, H.R., Pouretemad, H.R, et al.(2005). Epidemiological study of psychiatric disorder in iran. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health.; 26(1): 16. 2009Psychological impact of disasters on children: review of assessment and interventions Nilamadhab Kar.
Perry, B.D.(1999). Posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents. Current opinion in pediatrics 1999; 11(4): 310-12. DOI: 10.1097/00008480-199908000-00008.
Rahgozar, M., Bagherie-Yazdi, M., Masgarpoor, S.A., Nikfarjam, B., Raeesi, H.(2004). Epidemiological study of mental disorder in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. J Shahrekord Univ Med Sci. 6(4): 33-42.
Rapee, R. M. (2002). The development and modification of temperamental risk for anxiety disorders: Prevention of a lifetime of anxiety? Biological Psychiatry, 52, 947-957. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(02)01572-x.
Rhebergen D., Aderka I. M., van der Steenstraten I. M., et al. Admixture analysis of age of onset in generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2017;50:47–51. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.05.003.
Rhebergen, D., Aderka I. M., van der Steenstraten I. M., et al.(2017). Admixture analysis of age of onset in generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. ;50:47–51. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.05.003. [PubMed] [CrossRef].
Rutter, M., Kim-cohen, J., Maughan, B. (2006). Continuities and discontinuities in psychopathology between childhood and adult life. Journal of Association for child and Adolescent Health, 284. OI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01614.x
Şahin, N. H., Batigün, A. D., & Yilmaz, B. (2007). Psychological symptoms of Turkish children and adolescents after the 1999 earthquake: Exposure, gender, location, and time duration. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20(3), 335-345. DOI: 10.1002/jts.20217
Scheeringa., M. S., & Burns, L.C.(2018).Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Very Young Children: First Case Reports on Stability and Developmental Considerations. Case Rep Psychiatry. Published online 2018 Sep 24. doi: 10.1155/2018/7093178
Silberg J., Moore A. A., Rutter M. Age of onset and the sub classification of conduct/dissocial disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. 2015;56(7):826–833. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12353. 
Silberg, J., Moore, A. A., Rutter, M.(2015). Age of onset and the sub classification of conduct/dissocial disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. 2015; 56(7):826–833. doi: 10.1111/jcpp. 12353. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef].
Spence, S. H. (1998). A measure of anxiety symptoms among children. Behavior Research and Therapy, 36(5), 545-566. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00034-5
Spence, S. H. (2017). Review-Measurement Issues: Assessing anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12251.
Spence, S. H., Barrett, P. M., & Turner, C. M. (2003). Psychometric properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale with young adolescents. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 17(6), 605-625. doi:10.1016/s0887-6185(02)00236-0.
Yasemi, M.T., Mirrabzadeh, A., Sardarpour; Sh., Shah Mohammadi, D., Bagheri, A., Laighi, H. (2003). Mental health in disaster. 18. Natural. Tehran: Ministry of Interior publication, 45