How Parent Mental Health Can Affect Children After Disaster

• 2019

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• Betty Pfefferbaum; Carol North

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About

This article explains how a parent's mental health after a disaster can affect their children. It describes that even if kids weren't directly involved in the disaster, they might still feel stressed or have trouble in school if their parents are struggling mentally. Parents should talk to their kids about what happened and help them feel safe by making family plans for future emergencies. The article also suggests limiting children's exposure to distressing news and using support networks to cope better as a family. Preparing together can make everyone feel more secure during tough times.

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Tags

Focus Areas: Mental Health; Natural Disasters; Trauma

Audiences: Behavioral Health Professionals; Emergency Managers; EMS Clinicians; Families & Children; Nurses; Physicians

Emergency Management Stages: Response; Recovery

Keywords: Child Behavior Disorders; Disasters; Family Relations; Mental Health; Parents; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Stress, Psychological; Caregivers

Institutions: University of Colorado

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