Trauma, grief and depression in Nairobi children after the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy

Betty Pfefferbaum, Carol S North, Debby Doughty, Rose Pfefferbaum, Cedric Dumont, Robert Pynoos, Robin Gurwitch, David Ndetei

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite the increasingly dangerous world where trauma and loss are common, relatively few studies have explored traumatic grief in children. The 1998 American Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, provided an unfortunate opportunity to examine this topic. This report describes findings in 156 children who knew someone killed in the incident, assessed 8 to 14 months after the explosion. Bomb-related posttraumatic stress was associated with physical exposure, acute response, posttraumatic stress related to other negative life events, type of bomb-related loss, and subsequent loss. Grief was associated with bomb-related posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic stress related to other negative life events, and type of bomb-related loss. The study supports the developing literature on traumatic grief and the need for studies exploring the potentially unique aspects of this construct.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)561-577
Number of pages17
JournalDeath Studies
Volume30
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

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