Industrial disaster and mental health of children and their parents.

OBJECTIVE

We report the findings of research conducted a year after an industrial disaster (PCB fire), which occurred on Montreal's South Shore in 1988. A total of 1,663 families were evacuated for a period of 18 days. The study evaluated 174 children between the ages of three and eleven years: 87 in the exposed group and 87 in the control sample.

METHOD

Structured questionnaires were administered to the children and their mothers and fathers during home visits.

RESULTS

Based on the responses of the children and the mothers, children aged 6 to 11 years displayed more overall internalized and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than did those in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrates that the mental health of fathers as well as mothers correlates with children's symptoms and that parents are able to accurately observe their child's reaction to a disaster.