Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Group crisis intervention for children during ongoing war conflict

  • ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
  • Published:
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term impact of a group crisis intervention for children aged 9–15 years from five refugee camps in the Gaza Strip during ongoing war conflict. Children were selected if they reported moderate to severe posttraumatic stress reactions, and were allocated to group intervention (N=47) encouraging expression of experiences and emotions through storytelling, drawing, free play and role-play; education about symptoms (N=22); or no intervention (N=42). Children completed the CPTSD-RI and the CDI pre- and post-intervention. No significant impact of the group intervention was established on children’s posttraumatic or depressive symptoms. Possible explanations of the findings are discussed, including the continuing exposure to trauma and the non-active nature of the intervention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Almqvist K, Brandell-Forsberg M (1997) Refugee children in Sweden: posttraumatic stress disorder in Iranian preschool children exposed to organized violence. Child Abuse and Neglect 21:351–366

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Becker D, Weine S, Vojvoda D, Mc-Glashan T (1999) PTSD symptoms in adolescent survivors of “ethnic cleansing”: results from a one-year study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38:775–781

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Campfield K, Hills A (2001) Effect of timing of critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) on posttraumatic symptoms. J Trauma Stress 14:327–340

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Chemtob C, Nakashima J, Carlson J (2002) Brief treatment for elementary school children with disaster-related posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychol 58:99–112

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Chemtob C, Tomas S, Law W, Cremniter D (1997) Post disaster psychosocial intervention: a field study of the impact of debriefing on psychological distress. Am J Psychiatry 154:415–417

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Cohen J, Mannarino A (1997) A treatment study for sexually abused pre-school children: outcome during a one-year follow-up. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36:1228–1235

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Costello E, Angold A (1988) Scales to assess child and adolescent depression: checklists, screens, and nets. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 27:726–737

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Dybdahl R (2001) Children and mothers in war: an outcome study of a psychosocial intervention program. Child Dev 72:1214–1230

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Dyregrov A (1999) Helpful and hurtful aspects of psychological debriefing groups. Int J Emerg Ment Health 1:175–181

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Dyregrov A (2001) Early intervention: a family perspective. Adv Mind Body Med 17:168–174

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Dyregrov A, Gjestad R, Raundalen M (2002) Children exposed to warfare: a longitudinal study. J Trauma Stress 15:59–68

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Dyregrov A, Gupta L, Gjestad R, Mukanoheli E (2000) Trauma exposure and psychological reactions to genocide among Rwandan children. J Trauma Stress 13:3–21

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Dyregrov A, Solomon R, Fredrik-Bassoe C (2000) Mental mobilization processes in critical incident stress situations. J Emerg Ment Health 2:73–81

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Everly GS, Mitchell JT (1999) Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM): a new era and standard of care in crisis intervention (2nd ed). Chevron Publishing Corporation, Elliccott City, MD

  15. Galante R, Foa D (1986) An epidemiological study of psychic trauma and treatment effectiveness for children after a natural disaster. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 25:357–363

    Google Scholar 

  16. Gharib A (1985) Arabic Version of CDI. El Nahda El Masrya, Cairo

  17. Goenjian A, Karayan I, Pynoos R, Minassian D, Najarian L, Steinberg A, Fairbanks L (1997) Outcome of psychotherapy among early adolescents after trauma. Am J Psychiatry 154:536–542

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Goenjian A, Pynoos R, Steinberg A, Najarian L, Asarnow J, Karayan I, Ghurabi M, Fairbanks L (1995) Psychiatric comorbidity in children after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 34:1174–1184

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hobbs M, Mayou R, Harrison B, Worlock P (1996) A randomized controlled trial of psychological debriefing for victims of road traffic accidents. BMJ 313:1438–1439

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Husain S, Nair J, Holcomb W, Reid J, Vargas V, Nair S (1998) Stress reactions of children and adolescents in war and siege conditions. Am J Psychiatry 155:1718–1719

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Kovacs M (1985) The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) Psychopharmacol Bull 21:995–998

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. March J, Amaya-Jackson L, Murray M, Schulte A (1998) Cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy for children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder after a single-incident stressor. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 37:585–593

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. McCloskey L, Southwick K (1996) Psychosocial problems in refugee children exposed to war. Pediatrics 97:394–397

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Nader ON, Pynoos R, Fairbanks L, Al-Ajeel M, AlAsfour AA (1993) Preliminary study of PTSD and grief among the children of Kuwait following the Gulf Crisis. Br J Clin Psychol 32:307–416

    Google Scholar 

  25. Perrin S, Smith P, Yule W (2000) The assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorders in children and adolescents. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 41:277–289

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Pynoos R, Frederick C, Nader K (1987) Life threat and posttraumatic stress in school-age children. Arch Gen Psychiatry 37:629–636

    Google Scholar 

  27. Pynoos R, Nader K (1988) Psychological first aid and treatment approach to children exposed to community violence: research implications. J Trauma Stress 1:444–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Qouta S, Punamaki R, El Sarraj E (2003) Prevalence and determinants of PTSD among Palestinian children exposed to military violence. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 12:265–272

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Rogers S, Silver S (2002) Is EMDR an exposure therapy? A review of treatment protocols. J Clin Psychol 58:43–59

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Salloum A, Avery L, McClain R (2001) Group psychotherapy for adolescent survivors of homicide victims. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 40:1261–1267

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Smith P, Dyregrov A, Yule W (2002) Children and war: teaching survival techniques. Children and War Foundation, Bergen

    Google Scholar 

  32. Southall D, Abbasi K (1998) Protecting children from armed conflict. BMJ 316:1549–1550

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Stein B, Comer D, Gardner W, Kelleher K (1999) Prospective study of displaced children’s symptoms in wartime Bosnia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 34:464–469

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Thabet AA, Abed Y, Vostanis P (2004) Comorbidity of PTSD and depression in refugee children during war conflict. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 45:533–542

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Thabet AA, Vostanis P (1999) Posttraumatic stress reactions in children of war. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 40:385–391

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Thabet AA, Vostanis P (2000) Posttraumatic stress reactions in children of war: a longitudinal study. Child Abuse and Neglect 24:291–298

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Thabet AA, Abed Y, Vostanis P (2002) Emotional problems in Palestinian children living in war zones. Lancet 359:1801–1804

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. United Nations for Relief and Work Agency (1999) Factors and figures: the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. United Nations, Gaza

    Google Scholar 

  39. Weine S, Kulenovic A, Pavkovic I, Gibbons R (1998) Testimony psychotherapy in Bosnian refugees. Am J Psychiatry 155:1720–1726

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Yule W (1992) Posttraumatic stress disorder in child survivors of shipping disasters: the sinking of ‘Jupiter’. Psychother Psychosom 57:200–205

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Yule W (1999) Post traumatic stress disorder. Arch Dis Child 80:107–109

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Zivcic I (1993) Emotional reactions of children to war stress in Croatia. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 32:709–713

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Al Quds University, School of Public Health, Gaza, Palestine

    Abdel Aziz Thabet

  2. Greenwood Institute of Child Health Westcotes House, Westcotes Drive, Leicester LE3 OQU, UK

    Panos Vostanis & Khalid Karim

Authors
  1. Abdel Aziz Thabet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Panos Vostanis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Khalid Karim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Panos Vostanis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thabet, A.A., Vostanis, P. & Karim, K. Group crisis intervention for children during ongoing war conflict. Europ.Child & Adolescent Psych 14, 262–269 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0466-7

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0466-7

Key words

Search

Navigation