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Mental Health Approaches to Child Victims of Acts of Terrorism

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Abstract

It has long been recognized that human beings exposed to severe stress may develop psychological symptoms. With recent terrorist acts around the world including the New York City World Trade Center September 11, 2001 atrocity, there has been a growing interest in the specific impact of terrorist acts on the victims and witnesses. One area that has received less study is the specific impact on children. This paper reviews some of the general effects of traumatic stress on children and the history of the research in this area including a specific discussion of post-traumatic stress disorder in children. This is followed by a review of how children might react to the trauma of a terrorist attack differentiating between three different subgroups of children (preschool age children, school-age children, and adolescents). Then there is a review of what a comprehensive evaluation of childhood victims of terrorism should entail. Finally, treatment modalities that have been shown to be effective are reviewed.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York University School of Medicine, 200 West 70th Street, Suite 16R, New York, NY, 10023, USA

    Ankur Saraiya

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Amir Garakani

  3. New York Medical College, 11 East 68th Street, Suite 1-B, New York, NY, 10065-4955, USA

    Stephen B. Billick

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  1. Ankur Saraiya
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  2. Amir Garakani
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  3. Stephen B. Billick
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Correspondence to Amir Garakani.

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Saraiya, A., Garakani, A. & Billick, S.B. Mental Health Approaches to Child Victims of Acts of Terrorism. Psychiatr Q 84, 115–124 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-012-9232-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-012-9232-4

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