Abstract
Exposure to a natural disaster in childhood can have serious, long-lasting consequences, impacting physical and mental health, development, and learning. Although many children experience negative effects after a disaster, the majority do not, and what differentiates these groups is not well understood. Some of the factors that influence disaster-related outcomes in the midst of adversity include parents’ mental health, the home environment, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, genetics has also a role to play in how children respond to stressors. We had the opportunity to conduct a natural experiment of disaster recovery following the Alberta 2013 Flood. This paper presents the detailed protocol on prediction of resilience in Albertan families, and validation with cortisol data. In addition, data collection procedures, developing resiliency screening tools, candidate gene identification, genotyping, DNA methylation, and genomic analyses are described to achieve the research objectives. This study produced new knowledge by using pre- and post-disaster information on children’s health and development, including children’s genetics and responses to stress. This information has been identified as important to governments and other organizations invested in early child development. Our comprehensive research plan generates evidence that can be mobilized population-based approaches to improve child and family resiliency.
Highlights
Population-based cohort studies provide vital information to examine and identify etiological factors in the development of diseases important for public health [1]
Lack of resilience is most evident in changes to biomarkers related to the stress response, including immune function and metabolomics
Results of this study determine 1) the effectiveness of resiliency screening tool for early identification of children mental health, 2) capability of the triage decision algorithm that links the type of need and its severity identified through the resilience tool, 3) association of genetic modification to child resilience, and 4) prospects of employing results from this study in policy making for mental health
Summary
Population-based cohort studies provide vital information to examine and identify etiological factors in the development of diseases important for public health [1]. Negative life events can have an impact at a number of points in child development, including the impact of maternal stress in utero [5], and children experiencing stress due to natural disaster are more vulnerable to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, behavioral, and learning problems [6,7,8]. These stressors may induce epigenetic changes, and increase risk for later development of adverse mental health outcomes [9]. The importance of cohort studies in linking early events to later life outcomes has been well established, and this may help in identifying potential risks at early stage, as well as in developing preventive measures for the well-being of individuals and communities [11, 12]
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