[Differences in coping strategies of preadolescents with and without exposure to the L'Aquila (Central Italy) 2009 earthquake]. / Differenze nella scelta delle strategie di coping in preadolescenti esposti e non esposti al sisma dell'Aquila del 6 aprile 2009.

OBJECTIVES: to assess the presence of a characteristic coping strategy profile in a wide sample of preadolescents following a traumatic exposure (i.e., L'Aquila earthquake). DESIGN: we have investigated the coping strategies through the Brief-Cope Coping Orientation towards Problems Experienced - new Italian version (COPE-NVI) devised to measure coping strategies on five levels: problem-oriented coping strategies, avoidance strategies, social-support strategies, positive attitude, transcendent orientation. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 129 preadolescents exposed (75 females and 54 males) and 107 non-exposed to the trauma (54 females and 53 males), age-ranged 11-14 years, coming from L'Aquila and from another Italian region far away from the epicentre of the earthquake. The trauma exposure was assessed through a checklist considering the presence of negative factors such as death of relatives and friends and displacement from home. Participants were tested collectively at school during school time in accordance with their teacher. An exclusion criterion was the presence of psychic disorders following or preceding the trauma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: the need to develop a diagnostic protocol including coping measures aim to planning preventive actions for avoiding post-traumatic diseases. RESULTS: the trauma exposure without consequent psychiatric disorders causes a high heterogeneity within coping dimensions, such phenomenon does not happen in the non-exposed group. Coping strategies are not affected by age and gender, but only by the exposure to the trauma. Furthermore, death of relatives/friends and displacements from home predict the use of specific coping strategies (i.e., social-support strategies and transcendent orientation). CONCLUSION: coping is a dynamic process of adjustment to critical events that requires to direct cognitive and behavioural resources. The trauma exposure modifies coping strategies and dimensions. This study shows the importance to use coping tools for helping people in using positive and active resource of coping.

Moderating effects of empathic concern and personal distress on the emotional reactions of disaster volunteers.

This study examines stress and mood outcomes in community volunteers who undertook one week's worth of post-disaster relief work in L'Aquila, Italy, which had been hit by an earthquake four months earlier. The study team obtained pre- and post-relief work data from 130 volunteers involved in activities such as preparing food for the displaced, cleaning the camps and distributing clean linen. The Perceived Stress Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Profile of Mood States were administered at the start and at the end of the aid activities. Psychopathological symptoms and empathy were assessed in the beginning, using the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, respectively. The results show that, following the assistance work, volunteers displayed decreases in perceived stress, general distress, anxiety and anger, as well as increases in positive emotions. The empathy facets empathic concern and personal distress showed different patterns in modulating the post-disaster relief work adaptation for some of the mood outcomes.

Perceived self-efficacy and coping styles related to stressful critical life events.

OBJECTIVE: The study examined the personal resources, Self-efficacy and Coping Strategies, in a sample of pre-adolescents who experienced an emotionally and socially critical event, such as the earthquake of the 6(th) of April 2009, related to age and gender. METHODS: 198 pre-adolescents, 84 girls and 114 boys (Age Mean 12 years), attending Secondary School in L'Aquila meso-seismic area. The emotional, behavioural and social capacities have been assessed with specific questionnaires administered collectively ten months after the earthquake. RESULTS: Multidimensional analyses produced differentiated profiles according to gender and age: self-efficacy-perception and coping strategy profiles, based on quartiles calculations, revealed the difficulties of the subjects in estimating their ability to cope with the world of relations and emotions after the critical event. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention could be specific to the cognitive, emotional and relational state of children and adolescents and differentiated before (prevention), during (intervention) and after the event (intervention and prevention).