Analysis of children’s written responses to Hurricane Andrew

Abstract

As part of a longitudinal evaluation of children living in Dade County, Florida, during Hurricane Andrew, the current study examines children's ( n = 334) written perceptions of the worst aspects of the storm. Data were collected on the children's psychological adjustment three times within a year following the hurricane. Repeated measures general linear model (GLM) analyses were used to identify predictors of narrative elaborateness, narrative coherence, first-person pronouns, and internal states language in children's responses. Demographic variables, traumatic exposure, and coping were differentially related to these narrative characteristics. Additional repeated measures GLM analyses were used to examine whether these characteristics predicted psychological adjustment. Results indicated that children who frequently used internal states language in their descriptions had more symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Furthermore, children with more elaborate narratives had higher levels of PTSD symptoms, but only at the initial data collection period after the hurricane.