Anxiety in tsunami-affected children in Sri Lanka measured by Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale and Synthetic House–Tree–Person Test

Abstract

We conducted a multidimensional assessment of the psychological condition of trauma-affected children in the Matara district in southern Sri Lanka. As a part of this assessment, the Synthetic-House–Tree–Person Test (S-HTP), and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) were administered to children (10–16 years old) studying in a school in an area affected by the tsunami, and in a school in a close by area that was not affected. Analysis of RCMAS data indicated that there were no significant differences in the overall anxiety scores of children in the two schools. However, the total anxiety scores of male children in the tsunami-affected school were significantly higher than in the non-affected school. Among the RCMAS sub-scales, only the score for concentration anxiety was significantly different only in male children between the two schools. The significance of these findings, as well as the findings of the S-HTP test, along with comparison of the HTP test data with the questionnaire data are presented and the cultural meaning of these findings is discussed.