Resilience and trajectories of posttraumatic stress among youth exposed to disaster

Multiple trajectories of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms are hypothesized following disaster in a number of theoretical perspectives. Increasingly, those with rapidly declining, transient, or stable low symptoms are defined as resilient. This article examines trajectories to understand acute reactions to disaster, and explores the need to define resilience as more than just symptom trajectories. An urban school-based sample of youth exposed to both hurricanes Katrina and Gustav (n=141; grades 4 through 8) were assessed for PTS symptoms at 12 months and 6 months pre-Gustav (Times 1 and 2); and then again at 1 month post-Gustav (Time 3). Data indicated that there were significant decreases in mean PTS symptoms post-Gustav, but individual trajectories were identified consistent with theory. Whereas an ostensibly resilient group was identified (stable low symptoms), results suggest that the group was heterogeneous in terms of disaster experiences, and that those with low symptoms but relatively high Katrina disaster exposure had a unique coping style. Results provide prospective data to support theories of multiple trauma exposure trajectories, and highlight the importance of empirically identifying resilient youth in terms of both functioning and level of risk exposure in disaster samples.