Re: 9-11 fallout/children

[tasha howe]

i think you are right. PTSD takes a while to be diagnosed. most of us and our students are experiencing normal anxiety reactions, such as bad dreams and fears. if this persists for a longer period of time and meets diagnostic criteria, then it might be PTSD, but it certainly isn't right now. even those who witnessed the event first hand and have terrible symptoms might not have PTSD, but normal trauma reactions. typically it has to persist for more than one month, and even if it is up to 3 months, it would be considered acute. 3 months or more are indicative of chronic. i'd also like to point out that in children, PTSD may differ in that it is often characterized by disorganized or agitated behavior, repetitive play expressing themes of the trauma (such as airplane crashes), unrecalled but frightening dreams, expressive reenactment of the trauma through dramatic play, stomach and headaches, and "omen formation" where they begin to believe they can predict future negative events, or a sense of "no future" or never having the opportunity to grow up.

"Shearon, Tim" wrote:

 Am I missing something? :) Please realize that this isn't just directed at the writer of this message but at all of us. How can we in psychology expect the general public to get the idea that it is accute anxiety that is occurring at this point in time and not PTSD when we seem to be getting it confused ourselves. Or is it me who has misunderstood the concepts. (Certainly wouldn't be the first time but I don't want to continue to teach it the wrong way in my intro courses). My understanding of the literature, and I'm not in clinical or counseling, is that PTSD only shows up much later and the time immediately following the event results in situational or accute anxiety. I know that may sound like nit-picking, but as I understand it the prognosis and treatment are vastly different for the two categories? Can someone with expertise in this area please inform those of us not so knowledgable about these ideas which of us is off base on the accute vs PT aspects of anxiety disorder? TOS

**********************************************
Timothy O. Shearon, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology (Chairperson)
Albertson College of Idaho
Caldwell, Idaho

ph- 208-459-5840

teaching interests: neuropsychology, history of psychology, developmental (topical), intro

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 8:59 AM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences
Subject: Re: 9-11 fallout
 

I teach in a high school in Queens.  The day of  the attack, we discussed what had happened (I teach the last two periods) and provided some coping strategies that i ususally discuss in the second semester.  We had no school the next day, because of various shutdowns in Ny.  On Thurtsday, i gave time for discusssions of their ideas and feelings about what had happened.  Since then, i returned to my usual discussion of topics in AP Psychology.  They have had two quizzes, with no real decline in scores over previous years.
I think that all of the students were personally affected by what took place, especially since one of the teachers lost her brother in the attack, which was not determined until days and searches later.  However, the school actively worked to keep students informed and to help them cope, with general meetings, available counseling, and tips to all teachers about ways to help their students.  Of course, this is easier in a small high school than in a large college, but the interventions may have reduced the PTSD symptoms that TIPSters seem to be finding in their students.

Riki Koenigsberg
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Tasha R. Howe, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Psychology (Developmental)
Transylvania University
300 N. Broadway
Lexington, KY  40508
Phone: (859) 233-8144
FAX: (859) 281-3507
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website: http://www.transy.edu/homepages/thowe/ftpdpages/index2.html
Another website I created: http://www.scbwi-midsouth.com/
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