The role of objective and subjective experiences, direct and media exposure, social and organizational support, and educational and gender effects in the prediction of children posttraumatic stress reaction one year after calamity

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the direct, indirect, objective, and subjective exposure effect on the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The impact of social and organizational support, as well as age and gender factors, were examined in development of PTSD. Participants were 270 disaster survivor elementary and secondary school students. One year after the disaster, each participant filled out a Children’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (CPTSD), trauma exposure, trauma experiencing, social support, and organizational support scales. Male and female students were compared on these instruments with univariate Anova. Elementary school children outscored both on the organizational support and trauma scale and this reached significance level. Additionally, contributing factors were predicted with a stepwise regression analysis. A combination of direct, indirect, objective exposure scores, subjective exposure scores, gender, age, organizational and social support variables accounted for 17 % of the PTSD scores. Direct exposure accounted for 6 % , subjective exposure 5,4 % , age 3 % , having a friend moving away 2,6 % and food shortage contributed 1 % , and of the total variance. Direct exposure appeared to be the most significant predictors, followed by subjective exposure. Media exposure, gender, and physical exposure seemed to be especially poor contributors. Neither school nor home damage, the death of relatives or friends, or gas, water, and electric shortages contributed significantly to the results.