Risk Factors for Psychological Adjustment Following Residential Fire: The Role of Avoidant Coping

SUMMARY

Although a growing number of investigations have targeted technological and natural disasters involving children and adolescents (e.g., kidnappings, shootings, accidents, wars, fires, hurricanes), little is known about the influence of specific risk factors on functioning post-disaster. A number of basic questions are yet to be fully addressed, including: How do children and adolescents cope with technological and natural disasters? What are the most salient risk factors for children and adolescents, prior to, during, and following disasters? How do these risk factors interact in predicting psychological adjustment? And what is the relative role of risk factors on psychological adjustment over time? In fact, these and related questions hold the potential to move this important area of inquiry forward in a variety of meaningful ways.

KEYWORDS:

• Coping
• children
• adolescents
• disaster
• fire