Predictors of Chronic Posttraumatic Response in Muslim Children Following Natural Disaster

Although much research has identified key predictors of childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following natural disasters, there is a lack of evidence pertaining to the development of posttraumatic disorders after disasters in Islamic cultures. This study identified the predictors of PTSD, depression, and prolonged grief 5 years after the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, which is dominated by Islamic Sharia law. One hundred and 10 children aged between 7 and 13 years of age who were attending an afterschool program completed measures of PTSD, depression, prolonged grief (PG), social support, coping style, and appraisals. High rates of PTSD, depression, and PG were noted. PTSD was predicted by the belief that honoring Allah will preclude future harmful things from occurring, the number of times the child experienced the death of a loved one and cognitive avoidance. Depression was predicted by being older and continuing to be exposed to negative stories about the tsunami. PG was predicted by experiencing the death of a parent as well as the total number of losses and cognitive avoidance. These findings suggest that models of childhood trauma response need to recognize the functions of religious attributions and gender in children's response to disaster in Islamic settings.