Skip to main content

Technology-Related Disasters

  • Chapter
Children and Disasters

Part of the book series: Issues in Clinical Child Psychology ((ICCP))

Abstract

Within the literature on the effects of disasters on mental health, based mainly on studies of adults, it is widely accepted that human-made, technological disasters are associated with higher levels of later distress than are natural disasters. One year after a disaster, systematic estimates of morbidity indicate that 30%–40% of survivors may be adversely affected, with human-made disasters showing levels of over 30%–70% percent severe impairment (Raphael, 1986). The aim of this chapter is to consider what little evidence there is about the effects of technological disasters on children and adolescents.

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

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Abramson, L. Y., Seligman, M. E. R, Teasdale, J. D. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 49–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birleson, R. (1981). The validity of depressive disorder in childhood and the development of a self-rating scale: A research report. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 21, 83–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birleson, R, Hudson, I., Buchanan, D. G., Wolff, S. (1987). Clinical evaluation of a self-rating scale for depressive disorder in childhood (Depression Self-Rating Scale). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28, 43–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bloch, D. A., Silber, E., Perry, S. E. (1956). Some factors in the emotional reactions of children to disaster. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 416–422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blom, G. E. (1986). A school disaster—Intervention and research aspects. Journal of American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 25, 336–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bromet, E. J. (1989). The nature and effects of technological failures. In R. Gist B. Lubin (Eds.) Psychosocial aspects of disaster (pp. 120–139 ). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dollinger, S. J., O’Donnell, J. R, Staley, A. A. (1984). Lightning-strike disaster Effects on children’s fears and worries. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 1028–1038.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dyregrov, A. (1988). Critical incident stress debriefings. Unpublished manuscript, Research Center for Occupational Health and Safety, University of Bergen, Norway.

    Google Scholar 

  • Earls, E, Smith, E., Reich, W., Jung, K. G. (1988). Investigating psychopathological consequences of a disaster in children: A pilot study incorporating a structured diagnostic approach. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 90–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garmezy, N. (1986). Children under severe stress: Critique and comments. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 25, 384–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gleser, G., Green, B. L., Winget, C. (1981). Prolonged psychosocial effects of disaster: A study of Buffalo Creek. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, B. L., Grace, M. C., Lindy, J. D., Gleser, G. C., Leonard, A. C., Kramer, T. L. (1989). Buffalo Creek survivors in the second decade: Comparison with unexposed and non-litigant groups. Manuscript submitted for publication; cited in Green et al, 1990 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, B. L., Lindy, J. D., Grace, M. C., Gleser, G. C., Leonard, A. C., Korol, M., Winget, C. (1990). Buffalo Creek survivors in the second decade: Stability of stress symptoms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60, 43–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Handford, H. A., Mayes, S. O., Mattison, R. E., Humphrey, E. J., Bagnato, S., Bixler, E. O., Kales, J. D. (1986). Child and parent reaction to the TMI nuclear accident. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 25, 346–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgkinson, P E., Stewart, M. (1991). Coping with catastrophe: A handbook of disaster management. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz, M. J., Wilner, N., Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of event scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209–218.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lacey, G. N. (1972). Observations on Aberfan. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 6, 257–260. Lansdown, R., Yule, W. (Eds.). (1986). The lead debate: The environment, toxicology and child health. London: Croom Helm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Ibor, J. J, Soria, J., Canas, E, Rodriguez-Gamazo, M. (1985). Psychopathological aspects of the toxic oil syndrome catastrophe. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 352–365.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Malt, U. (1988). The long-term psychiatric consequences of accidental injury: A longitudinal study of 107 adults. British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 810–818.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, S., Little, B. (1986). The effects of a natural disaster on academic abilities and social

    Google Scholar 

  • behavior of school children. British Columbia Journal of Special Education, 10,167–182. Martini, D. R., Ryan, C., Nakayama, D., Ramenofsky, M. (1990). Psychiatric sequelae after traumatic injury: The Pittsburgh Regatta accident. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,29, 70–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • McFarlane, A. C. (1987). Family functioning and overprotection following a natural disaster: The longitudinal effects of post-traumatic morbidity. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 21, 210–218.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Milgram, N. A., Toubiana, Y. H., Klingman, A., Raviv, A., Goldstein, I. (1988). Situational exposure and personal loss in children’s acute and chronic stress reactions to a school bus disaster. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1, 339–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nader, K., Pynoos, R. S., Fairbanks, L., Frederick, C., (1990). Childhood PTSD reactions one year after a sniper attack. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 1526–1530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, C. J. (1976). Children of disaster: Clinical observation at Buffalo Creek. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 306–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ollendick, T. H., Yule, W, Oilier, K. (1991). Fears in British children and their relationship to Manifest Anxiety and Depression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 321–331.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parry Jones, W, Sandberg, S., Puckering, C. (1991). Children of Lockerbie. Paper presented to meeting at Guys Hospital, London (Publication in preparation).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pynoos, R. S., Nader, K. (1988). Psychological first aid and treatment approach for children exposed to community violence: Research implications. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1, 243–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pynoos, R. S., Frederick, C., Nader, K., Arroyo, W, Steinberg, A., Eth, S., Nunez, E, Fairbanks, L. (1987). Life threat and posttraumatic stress in school-age children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 1057–1063.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quay, H. C., Peterson, D. R. (1979). Manual of the Behavior Problem Checklist (unpublished).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rachman, S. (1980). Emotional processing. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 18, 51–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raphael, B. (1986). When disaster strikes: A handbook for the caring professions. London, Hutchinson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, C. R., Richmond, B. O. (1978). What I think and feel: A revised measure of children’s manifest anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 271–280.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saigh, R. A. (1987a). In vitro flooding of a childhood post-traumatic stress disorder. School Psychology Review,16, 203–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saigh, P. A. (1987b). In vitro flooding of an adolescent’s post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology,16, 147–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saigh, P. A. (1989). The use of in vitro flooding in the treatment of traumatized adolescents. Journal of Behavioural and Developmental Pediatrics, 10, 17–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E. M., North, C. S., Price, P. C. (1988). Response to technological accidents. In M. Lystad (Ed.), Mental health response to mass emergencies (pp. 52–95 ). New York: Brunner/ Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugar, M. (1989). Children in disaster: An overview. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 19, 163–179.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, M. A., Saylor, C. E, Foster, K. Y. (1991). Post-hurricane adjustment of preschoolers and their families. Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy, 13, 163–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terr, L. C. (1979). The children of Chowchilla. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 34, 547–623.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ten L. C. (1983). Chowchilla revisited: The effects of psychic trauma four years after a schoolbus kidnapping. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 1543–1550.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terr, L. C. (1988). What happens to early memories of trauma? A study of twenty children under five at the time of the documented traumatic events. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 96–104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, E., Dagwell, K., Yule, W. (1992). Effects of a disaster on children’s academic attainment (in preparation).

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (1978) International Classification of Diseases: 9th Edition (ICD-9). WHO: Geneva.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yule, W. (1992a). Post traumatic stress disorders in child survivors of shipping disasters: The sinking of the “Jupiter.” Journal of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 57, 200–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yule, W. (1992b). Resilience and vulnerability in child survivors of disasters. In B. Tizard V. Varma (Eds.). Vulnerability and resilience: A Festschrift for Ann and Alan Clarke (pp. 182–198 ). London: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yule, W., Udwin, O. (1991). Screening child survivors for post-traumatic stress disorders:

    Google Scholar 

  • Experiences from the “Jupiter” sinking. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30,131–138. Yule, W, Williams, R. (1990). Post traumatic stress reactions in children. Journal of Traumatic Stress,3(2), 279–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yule, W, Udwin, O., Murdoch, K. (1990). The “Jupiter” sinking: Effects on children’s fears, depression and anxiety. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31, 1051–1061.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Yule, W. (1993). Technology-Related Disasters. In: Saylor, C.F. (eds) Children and Disasters. Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4766-9_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4766-9_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3234-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4766-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics