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Centrality of Event and Mental Health Outcomes in Child and Adolescent Natural Disaster Survivors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2018

Imelu G. Mordeno ,
Debi S. Galela ,
Ma. Jenina N. Nalipay Open the ORCID record for Ma. Jenina N. Nalipay [Opens in a new window]  and
Miriam P. Cue
Imelu G. Mordeno
Affiliation:
Mindanao State University (Philippines)
Debi S. Galela
Affiliation:
Mindanao State University (Philippines)
Ma. Jenina N. Nalipay*
Affiliation:
Philippine Normal University (Philippines)
Miriam P. Cue
Affiliation:
Professional Regulation Commission (Philippines)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ma. Jenina N. Nalipay. Philippine Normal University. College of Graduate Studies and Teacher Education Research and Educational Policy Research and Development Center. Taft Ave., 1000 Manila (Philippines). E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
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Abstract

The experience of trauma could be considered a central event in one’s life, such that it could be a core component of one’s identity and life story. Indeed, trauma memories are well-remembered, vivid, intense, and easily accessible (Berntsen & Rubin, 2006). The present study investigated the mediating role of sensory-based trauma memory quality in the relationship between centrality of event and mental health outcomes among child and adolescent survivors of a natural disaster (N = 225) in its immediate aftermath. Results of mediation analyses revealed that centrality of trauma event is related to symptoms of acute stress disorder and depression through sensory-based trauma memory quality (indirect effect 95% C.I. [.06, .11] and [.04, .10], respectively). These findings support the contention that centrality of event is associated to heightened accessibility and vividness of sensory-based trauma memory quality, which in turn is related to an increase in trauma-related symptoms in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, where the reminders of trauma are particularly salient in the survivors’ environment and daily activities.

Keywords

acute stress disordercentrality of eventdepression. trauma memory quality
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 21 , 2018 , E61
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2018 

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Footnotes

How to cite this article:

Mordeno, I. G., Galela, D. S., Nalipay, M. J. N., & Cue, M. P. (2018). Centrality of event and mental health outcomes in child and adolescent natural disaster survivors. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 21. e61. Doi:10.1017/sjp.2018.58

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