Dealing With the Aftermath of Mass Disasters: A Field Study on the Application of EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol With Child Survivors of the 2016 Italy Earthquakes.

Cristina Trentini,Giada Maslovaric,Marco Lauriola,Isabel Fernandez,Alessandro Giuliani,Renata Tambelli,Marco Pagani

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00862

Abstract

This study explored the effects of the EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol (EMDR-IGTP) on child survivors of the earthquakes that struck Umbria, a region of central Italy, on August 24th and on October 26th 2016. Three hundred and thirty-two children from the town of Norcia and nearby severely disrupted villages received 3 cycles of EMDR-IGTP. The Emotion Thermometers (ET-5) and the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-13) were administered before (T0) and about 1 week after the conclusion of the third cycle (T3) of EMDR-IGTP. At T3, older children showed a reduction of distress and anger, whereas younger children reported an increase on these domains; moreover, older children reported a greater reduction of anxiety than younger ones. A greater reduction of distress, anxiety, and need for help was evidenced in females, whereas a greater improvement in depressive symptoms was evidenced in males. The effects of the EMDR-IGTP treatment on post-traumatic symptoms were particularly evident in older children, compared to younger ones, and marginally greater in females than in males; moreover, a greater improvement was found in children who had received a timelier intervention, than in those who received delayed treatment. These results provide further evidence for the utility of EMDR-IGTP in dealing with the extensive need for mental health services in mass disaster contexts. Also, these data highlight the importance of providing EMDR-IGTP in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, to contribute significantly in restoring adaptive psychological functioning in children, especially in older ones.

Highlights

Scientific literature has provided large evidence for the detrimental psychopathological sequelae of natural disasters among children and adolescent survivors
As regards the Distress Thermometer, analyses revealed a marginally significant main effect of Time and significant interactions of Time∗Age and Time∗Gender (Table 3 and Figure 4). These results indicated a relevant reduction of distress in older children and a mild increase on this domain in younger ones over time
These results evidenced that the decrease of anxiety from T0 to T3 was greater in older children than in younger ones and greater in females than in males

Summary

Introduction

Scientific literature has provided large evidence for the detrimental psychopathological sequelae of natural disasters among children and adolescent survivors. Even though some individuals may show resilience after facing such traumatic experiences and manifest temporary sub-clinical stress responses (Bonanno, 2004), a wide range of psychopathological outcomes has been documented in the exposed population. Severe psychopathological outcomes, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are commonly observed in individuals who are exposed to natural disaster (Liu et al, 2011; Zhang et al, 2011), along with other forms of emotional distress (Toyabe et al, 2006; Oyama et al, 2012), difficulties in regulating anger (Durkin, 1993; Kar and Bastia, 2006; Becker-Blease et al, 2010), and poorer quality of life (Tsai et al, 2007; Jia et al, 2010). Children’s psychopathological responses may be enduring (Ularntinon et al, 2008; Piyasil et al, 2011) and persist until adulthood (Honig et al, 1993; Green et al, 1994), with a significant impairment of their individual functioning throughout their lifespan

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