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Cited by 169Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchChild Abuse and TraumaMigration, Health and Trauma

Impact of childhood exposure to a natural disaster on adult mental health: 20-year longitudinal follow-up study

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McFarlane, Alexander C., Van Hooff, Miranda·2009·British Journal of Psychiatry
DOI 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.054270
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Abstract

Background: Studies examining the impact of childhood disaster exposure on the development of adult psychopathology report increased rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychopathology. Aims: To examine the rates of PTSD and other lifetime DSM–IV disorders in adults exposed to an Australian bushfire disaster as children in 1983 using a matched control sample recruited at the time of the original study. Method: A total of 1011 adults recruited from an original sample of 1531 were assessed 20 years following the fires using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI–2.1). Results: Results showed only a small direct impact of the fires on adult psychiatric morbidity. A higher proportion of bushfire survivors met criteria for ‘any DSM–IV disorder’ and ‘any anxiety’. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the long-term impact of a prominent trauma in childhood should be assessed in the context of other lifetime trauma in order to provide a more accurate account of PTSD prevalence rates.

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  • When other traumatic experiences are added later to a childhood fire event, lifetime PTSD prevalence in children is higher (7.8% vs 5.8%, RR=1.80 [1.11;2.93], p<0.05), but not without this cumulative effect.

    “If other traumatic experiences are added to the fire event during further life, however, there is an increased prevalence of lifetime PTSD for children (7.8% versus 5.8%, RR = 1.80 [1.11; 2.93], p <0.05), but not without this cumulative effect (35).”

    From The effects of climate change on mental health (2023) · cites this paper as [35]

    The Discussion and the section ‘Lifetime and current PTSD in relation to the bushfire’ report greater PTSD risk among survivors who nominated a later event, rather than the fire, as their worst event. But Table 2 gives 7.8% versus 5.8% for all bushfire-exposed participants versus controls, with RR 1.36 (95% CI 0.84–2.19), p=0.21—not the significant RR and p-value attributed to those percentages. The claim conflates the subgroup finding with the nonsignificant whole-group comparison. (LLM, conf=0.91)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In an Australian longitudinal study, childhood bushfire experience was linked to higher lifetime anxiety disorder prevalence 20 years later than in an unaffected control group (21.5% vs 16%, RR=1.37 [1.05;1.78], p<0.05).

    “An Australian longitudinal study showed that experiencing bushfires in childhood can be most stressful.In adulthood, 20 years later, the prevalence of lifetime anxiety disorder is greater than in an unaffected control group (21.5% versus 16%, relative risk [RR] = 1.37 [1.05; 1.78), p <0.05).”

    From The effects of climate change on mental health (2023) · cites this paper as [35]

  • After 20 years, lifetime and point prevalence of depression and eating disorders were not significantly higher due to childhood fire experience.

    “Lifetime and point prevalence rates after 20 years for depression and eating disorders were not significantly increased as a result of experiencing a fire in childhood (35).”

    From The effects of climate change on mental health (2023) · cites this paper as [35]

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Authors
McFarlane, A. C., & Van Hooff, M.
Affiliations
The University of Adelaide (AU)
ORCID
McFarlane, Alexander C.
Venue
British Journal of Psychiatry
Publisher
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Published
2009-08
Volume
195
Issue
2
Pages
142-148
ISSN
  • 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
  • 1472-1465
DOI
10.1192/bjp.bp.108.054270
OpenAlex
W2133800141
Cited by
169
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
FWCI
7.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 3076 d)
Locations
  • The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Adelaide
  • Medical Research Council
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (300403)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
Keywords
bushfires, post-traumatic stress disorder, adult mental health, psychiatric morbidity, anxiety disorders, lifetime trauma, long-term follow-up
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Australia, Mental Disorders, Child, Child, Preschool, Disasters, Epidemiologic Methods, Fires, Humans, Life Change Events, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Young Adult

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