CHILD AND PARENT REACTIONS TO THE LOS-ANGELES AREA WHITTIER NARROWS EARTHQUAKE

This is a study of the responses of children and their parents to an earthquake, measuring 61 on the Richter Scale, that occurred in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. Sixty victims of the disaster were interviewed with a modified version of the instrument used to study the reactions of children and their families to the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake. Two-thirds of the sample resided near the epicenter in the Whittier area where there was major damage. One-third of the sample resided 50 miles away in the San Fernando Valley where the tremor was felt but where there was limited damage. The results were based on parental reports of children's behavior and emotional states. The most frequently reported children's reactions were sleep disturbances, specific fears, nightmares, short attention span, and depression. The children, ages 7-13, were asked questions about their perceptions of the event and their recall of their help-seeking behaviors. The reactions reported in our study correspond with those defined as post-traumatic stress in children. The results have implications for mental health education programs, disaster preparedness activities and clinical interventions.