Prevalence of traumatic events and risk for psychological symptoms among community and at-risk children and adolescents from Bangladesh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Children from developing countries are more vulnerable to traumatic experiences and more likely to suffer a range of psychological problems than children from developed countries. Method: The current paper describes a survey of 1360 children and adolescents from Bangladesh who were selected either from the general community or through a range of social service organizations. Children completed a checklist of traumatic events and questionnaires to assess symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. Results: Children from both samples reported high levels of exposure to traumatic events, both via direct experience and indirectly. Direct experiences with intentional, man-made events were more frequently reported by children from support services while trauma from natural disasters was more common among community children. Psychological symptoms were significantly higher within children from social support services. The strongest predictors of psychological symptoms were age, gender, sample source and exposure to man-made direct traumas. Conclusion: The results point to the common occurrence of traumatic events and their emotional consequences among children and adolescents from Bangladesh and indicate the need to develop effective and accessible mental health services for Bangladeshi children and adolescents.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)218-224
Number of pages7
JournalChild and Adolescent Mental Health
Volume20
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2015

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Prevalence of traumatic events and risk for psychological symptoms among community and at-risk children and adolescents from Bangladesh'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this