Development of Functional Symptoms in Children Exposed to Traumatic Events

This chapter will review the typical symptoms occurring in children after stressful traumatic exposures. Unlike other chapters in this book, no specific organ system is the most likely focus of functional symptoms in this setting. Psychological distress may exacerbate symptoms of physical illness and injury associated with the traumatic events, may be expressed as almost …

At the Crossroads of Long-Term Recovery: Joplin, Missouri Six Months after the May 22, 2011 Tornado

In December 2011, researchers from Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) interviewed key officials and community leaders in Joplin, Missouri in order to document the major themes of the recovery effort approximately six months after the May 22 tornado. Researchers interviewed individuals in Joplin, Missouri to document recovery efforts six months after the …

Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population Impact Study

Although the ruptured Deepwater Horizon oil well was capped on July 15, 2010, an estimated 3 to 5 million barrels of oil spilled in to the Gulf of Mexico over a three-month period. Several surveys prior to the capping of the well documented the concerns and immediate effects of the oil spill on coastal residents. …

Day Three: Regional Resiliency and Health Challenges in the Aftermath of Nuclear Terrorism

On February 23, 2010, in New York City, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (NCDP) convened a unique roundtable of experts to discuss the impacts on a major U.S. city and the surrounding region, of the detonation by terrorists of a 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device. Aware of …

Challenges in Meeting Immediate Emotional Needs: Short-term Impact of a Major Disaster on Children's Mental Health: Building Resiliency in the Aftermath of Huricanne Katrina

Disasters, whether resulting from terrorism or natural events, have a dramatic impact on the health and well-being of children. Studies after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, in New York City and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and countless reports on the impact of natural disasters on children show that a child’s mental health …