ABSTRACT
The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing was a disaster of unparalleled dimension in the United States. The professional response included the development of systematic clinical and research programs. This article describes the case of a child who, as a participant in a research study, appeared to fabricate a story of bomb-related loss. The research and clinical records of this child were examined and analyzed according to the factors and conditions that might underlie this fabrication. These include issues related to memory and suggestibility, symptom contagion, and mass hysteria. The report describes the role of psychological vulnerability in trauma and this child's coping and adaptation.
Subject(s)
Explosions , Factitious Disorders/diagnosis , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Adaptation, Psychological , Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders/psychology , Child , Factitious Disorders/psychology , Humans , Male , Mass Behavior , Mental Recall , Oklahoma , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , SuggestionABSTRACT
Drawing from our work with children seen following the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, this article describes clinical aspects of avoidance in traumatized children and their families. Avoidance in traumatized children and their families seems a final common pathway arising from a number of diverse factors. The importance of particular factors for assessment and treatment is emphasized.
Subject(s)
Avoidance Learning , Defense Mechanisms , Explosions , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Unconscious, Psychology , Bereavement , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Maternal Deprivation , Oklahoma , Personality Assessment , Psychotherapy , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapyABSTRACT
This article examines the process of bereavement, its clinical presentation, and developmental influences. Family bereavement issues are outlined, pathologic and traumatic bereavement are described, and treatment strategies are suggested.
