A preliminary study of PTSD and grief among the children of Kuwait following the Gulf crisis

Abstract

This preliminary study of Kuwaiti children confirms the significant impact of exposure to war atrocities on children. This pilot sampling provided evidence that: (1) many children who remained in Kuwait during the occupation had multiple war‐related exposures; (2) more than 70 per cent of the children reported moderate to severe post‐traumatic stress reactions; and (3) witnessing death or injury and the viewing of explicit graphic images of mutilation on television had measurable influence on severity of reaction. The highest mean Child Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (CPTSD‐RI) score was found for those children who reported hurting someone else. Older children had both greater exposure to atrocities and higher CPTSD‐RI scores. Findings suggest the need for public policy to minimize children's exposure to graphic depictions of war‐related injury, death and mutilation.