Post-disaster trauma and cultural healing in children and adolescents: Evidence from the Wenchuan earthquake

Abstract

This study combines quantitative and qualitative methods, used non-verbal, sandplay work with children and adolescents to understand the psychological changes and features of trauma and healing amongst children and adolescents after the Wenchuan earthquake in China. Coding analysis and symbolic analysis were performed for 96 initial sandplay works by children and adolescents who had experienced the Wenchuan earthquake, at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months respectively after the earthquake. The trauma scores at 1 and 6 months were significantly lower than those recorded at 12, 18, and 24 months after the earthquake. The highest incidence of traumatic themes shown in the sandplay works was “split” (65%). The highest incidence of healing themes was “energy” (76%). The most used sandplay miniatures were animal (83%), people (76%), plant (75%), and building (75%), of which the most frequently used animals were turtles, goats, and butterflies; the most frequently used human characters were angels; and the most frequently used buildings were houses. Those children and adolescents suffered the most severe mental trauma at approximately 12–18 months after the earthquake. Culture is a psychological resource that can help heal the trauma caused by natural disasters. Psychological assistance needs to be continued over several years and emphasis should be placed on the establishment of four therapeutic stages: relationship, connection, trust, and freedom.