How deeply do disasters affect children?

Responses can vary significantly depending on age:

• Toddlers’ may respond by regressing behaviour, losing appetite, having nightmares, becoming mute, clinging, being irritated, and developing an exaggerated startle response.
• School age children may become fearful and anxious and hostile to siblings. They may have somatic complaints like stomach aches, sleep disorders, school problems, apathy, less interest in peers and withdraw, re-enactment via play and post traumatic stress disorder.
• Adolescents’ may lack concentration and lose interest in social activities, peers, hobbies and school. They may be unable to feel pleasure, become rebellious, have somatic complaints, eating disorders, and suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.

Carers should be trained to notice, reduce and even avoid these psychological problems.