Children with aggressive behavior vary in ability to adjust after being exposed to tornadoes

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/trg-cwa111516.php

Public Release: 15-Nov-2016
Children with aggressive behavior vary in ability to adjust after being exposed to tornadoes
Higher anxiety levels prior to disaster may serve as protective factor to after-effects
The Reis Group

When a large group of children with aggressive behavior experienced devastating tornadoes, many of those with higher anxiety showed greater resilience, according to a study published online in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, published by the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

"Initially, we thought that children with higher levels of anxiety prior to the tornado would develop intensified behavioral problems after the disaster," said John Lochman, PhD, ABPP, lead author of the study. "Surprisingly, children's anxiety appeared to help them handle the stress of a natural disaster more resiliently than those who had lower anxiety levels before the tornado hit."

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