Topic: Disasters, terror and stress management

Adolescents World Assumptions following the Southeast Asian Tsunami.

Stormyren, S., & Jensen, T. K. (2008). Verdensanskuelser etter en katastrofe [Adolescents World Assumptions following the Southeast Asian Tsunami.] Norwegian only. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 12, 1498-1506.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether adolescents who experienced the tsunami in South-East Asia had experienced changes in their basic world assumptions after the traumatic event, and whether self perceived changes were related to the development of post traumatic stress.

Eighty-eight Norwegian adolescents (48 females,  40 males), aged 12–18, were interviewed in their homes. Negative changes in world assumptions were expected. The results show, however, that most of the adolescents did not report changes in world assumptions. The changes that were reported went both in a positive and a negative direction. Some of the reported changes (both positive and negative) showed significant correlation with higher PTSD scores