Each year in world many children experience some
extreme traumatic event. These include natural disasters (e.g., tornadoes,
floods, hurricanes), motor vehicle accidents, life threatening illness and
associated painful medical procedures (e.g., severe burns, cancer), physical
abuse, sexual assault, witnessing domestic or community violence, kidnapping
and sudden death of a parent. More than 40 % of these children will develop
some form of chronic neuropsychiatric problem that can significantly impair
their emotional, academic and social functioning. The majority of these
neuropsychiatric problems are classified as Anxiety Disorders, with the most
common being Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). |