Post-Ebola sequelae among Ebola child survivors in Sierra Leone

Background There are limited data regarding the long-term health effects of child survivors of the 2013-2016 West African Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak. Here, we assess post-Ebola sequelae among EVD child survivors by comparing the self-reported symptoms between EVD child survivors and their close household contacts over one year after the end of the outbreak. Methods EVD child survivors(n=159) and their close contacts(n=303) were enrolled in Western and Eastern Sierra Leone. Demographics and self-reported symptoms data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. We compared a list of self-reported symptoms between EVD child survivors and their close household contacts using backward stepwise logistic regression. Results EVD child survivors were more likely to be orphans compared to their close contacts. Musculoskeletal, ocular, auditory and neurological symptoms were more prevalent among Ebola child survivors than their close contacts (p<0.001). Joint pain and headache were the most common self-reported symptoms in EVD child survivors and their close contacts. Joint pain (AOR=2.633; 95 % CI:1.31-5.28, p=0.006), eye pain (AOR=4.56;95 %CI: 2.16-9.64, p<0.001), hearing loss (AOR=3.85; 95 %CI: 1.15-12.87, p=0.029), memory impairment (AOR=7.76;0.95 %CI: 1.34-45.01 p=0.022), mood changes (AOR=5.07; 95 %CI: 2.35-10.94, p<0.001) were more common among survivors than their contacts. Conclusions Our data suggest that EVD child survivors have higher odds than their close contacts of suffering from musculoskeletal, ophthalmic, auditory and neurological impairment more than a year after the end of the EVD outbreak. Routine screening, treatment and monitoring of these symptoms is required to prevent long-term disability among EVD child survivors.

Very Young Child Survivors’ Perceptions of Their Father’s Suicide: Exploring Bibliotherapy as Postvention Support

Each year in the United States, 7000 to 30,000 children experience their parent’s suicide. Due to the stigma associated with suicide, feelings of guilt, and intense grief, surviving family members avoid talking about suicide. Over time, children struggle with confusion and intense emotions associated with their parent’s suicide. In this study, seven adults, who reported being younger than six years old at the time of their father’s suicide, participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Participants’ responses highlight the challenges that young children face due to limited memories of their deceased parent. Interviews concluded with an opportunity for participants to review and express their impressions of 10 children’s picture books. Participants offered impressions about how these books may or may not be helpful in supporting young child survivors. Implications for applied practice include considering how children’s literature may open communication and assist children in navigating Worden’s tasks of grief: (a) accepting the reality of their parent’s death; (b) facing the grief and pain; (c) adapting to life changes due to their father’s suicide, in particular adapting to altered family relationships; and (d) building memories of the deceased loved one, when possible, to ensure healthy attachment to the deceased parent. Participants’ insights provide considerations for selecting children’s literature for bibliotherapy. Due to young child survivors’ increased risk for attempting and completing suicide, supporting child survivors of parent suicide not only addresses postvention needs but aligns with suicide prevention.

Patterns of sexual violence against adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya: a prospective cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study examined patterns of sexual violence against adults and children in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform sexual violence prevention, protection, and response efforts.DesignA prospective cross-sectional research design was used with data collected from March to August 2020.SettingKenya.Participants317 adults, 224 children.Main measuresPerpetrator and survivor demographic data, characteristics of the assault.ResultsBivariate analyses found that children were more likely than adults to be attacked during daytime (59% vs 44%, p<0.001) by a single perpetrator rather than multiple perpetrators (31% vs 13%, p<0.001) in a private as opposed to a public location (66% vs 45%, p<0.001) and by someone known to the child (76% vs 58%, p<0.001). Children were violated most often by neighbours (29%) and family members (20%), whereas adults were equally likely to be attacked by strangers (41%) and persons known to them (59%). These variables were entered as predictors into a logistic regression model that significantly predicted the age group of the survivor, χ2(5, n=541)=53.3, p<0.001.ConclusionsPatterns of sexual violence against adult and child survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic are different, suggesting age-related measures are needed in national emergency plans to adequately address sexual violence during the pandemic and for future humanitarian crises.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among child survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake: a comparison between Chinese ethnic Han and Hui groups

Background Relatively few studies have compared posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following a disaster among children of different ethnicities. We sought to investigate the differences in PTSD symptoms between the ethnic Hui and Han child survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Methods This study collected data from 1,951 Han and 247 Hui child survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. The children ranged from 7 to 15 years of age. Earthquake-related exposures were measured using a modified version of the PsySTART Rapid Triage System. PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the University of California, Los Angeles PTSD-Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD-RI). Personality characteristics were assessed using the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQ). Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the association between the ethnicity and the severity of PTSD symptoms. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the association between the ethnicity and the percentage of screening positive for PTSD symptoms. Results The average UCLA PTSD-RI total score of the ethnic Hui group (27.01 ± 9.24) was significantly higher than that of the ethnic Han group (25.12 ± 9.17) (t = −3.05, p = 0.002), as were the avoidance/numbness (Hui: 10.02 ± 4.82; Han: 9.04 ± 4.60, t = −3.12, p = 0.002) and arousal scores (Hui: 9.36 ± 3.64; Han: 8.79 ± 3.42, t = −2.44, p = 0.015). The percentage of screening positive for D criteria (arousal symptoms) also differed significantly between the ethnic Han (41.9%, 95% CI [39.7–44.1%]) and Hui (48.6%, 95% CI [42.3–54.9%]) groups (χ2 = 3.97, p = 0.046). Ethnicity was associated with the avoidance/numbness symptom score following adjustments for sex, age, personality traits and earthquake exposure experiences by multiple linear regression (B: 0.61, 95% CI [0.04–1.17], p = 0.035). The initial significant associations between the ethnicity and the arousal symptoms score and the PTSD total score disappeared while adjusting for the subjective earthquake exposure experiences (Model 5: arousal symptoms, B = 0.41, 95% CI [−0.01 to 0.83], p = 0.056; PTSD, B = 1.00, 95% CI [−0.07 to 2.07], p = 0.066). The initial significant association between the ethnicity and the percentage of screening positive for D criteria disappeared while adjusting for the objective earthquake exposure experiences (Model 4: OR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.00–1.75], p = 0.052). Conclusion This study is the first to report the relationship between the ethnicity and PTSD symptoms among child survivors following a disaster. The findings of this study suggest that the trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy could also be an effective treatment for Chinese ethnic Hui and Han children who are suffering from PTSD. Future research could be designed to examine whether cultural differences in perceptions and interpretations may account for the variations in subjective experiences. More attention should be paid to the ethnic minority children with PTSD in the future.

Post-Ebola Sequelae Among Child Ebola Survivors in Sierra Leone

Introduction : There is limited data regarding the long-term health effects of child survivors of the 2013–2016 West African Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak. Here, we assess post-Ebola complications among EVD child survivors by comparing the self-reported symptoms between EVD child survivors and their close household contacts over one year after the end of the outbreak. Methods Child EVD survivors(n = 159) and their close contacts(n = 303) were enrolled in Western and Eastern Sierra Leone. Demographic and self-reported symptoms data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. We compared a list of self-reported symptoms between EVD child survivors and their close household contacts using backward stepwise logistic regression. Results Child EVD survivors were more likely to be orphans compared to their controls. Musculoskeletal, ocular, auditory and neurological symptoms were more prevalent among Ebola survivors than their close contacts (p < .001). Joint pain and headache were the most common self-reported symptoms, and child survivors and their contacts. Joint pain (AOR = 2.633; 95% CI1.313-5.278, p = 0.006), eye pain (AOR = 4.559,95%CI: 2.156–9.639, p < 0.001) hearing loss (AOR = 3.849, 95%CI: 1.151–12.871, p = 0.029), memory impairment (AOR = 7.763,.95%CI: 1.339–45.007 p = 0.022), mood changes (AOR = 5.070, 95%CI: 2.350-10.939, p < 0.001) were more common among survivors than their contacts. Conclusion Our data suggest that child EVD survivors have higher odds than their close contacts to suffer from post-Ebola musculoskeletal, ophthalmic, auditory and neurological impairment more than a year after the end of the EVD outbreak. Routine screening, treatment and monitoring of these symptoms is required to prevent long-term disability among child Ebola survivors.

Mapping the History of Child Holocaust Survivors

This chapter examines some key areas of the history of Jewish youth in Europe during and in the aftermath of the Holocaust, paying particular attention to the significant shifts in the field over the last decade. It discusses how the field has been changing and expanding as a result of historians’ recognition of children’s agency with the rise of child-oriented historiography, and the late postwar tsunami of child survivors’ testimonies. It focuses on specific aspects of Jewish children’s history beginning with the ghettoization process, life on the Aryan side in Nazi-occupied Europe, Jewish disabled children, the universe of concentration camps and extermination centers, and the aftermath of the war.

Partnership Commitment During a Global Pandemic

Riane Eisler challenges us to identify and embrace partnership relationships in every aspect of our lives — personal, social, cultural, environmental, and economic. Her trove of written work and public appearances shape a vision of our greater selves working together to achieve more than the sum of our separate lives. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reality of overwhelming separation, grief, loss, and social distancing begs the question: Is it truly possible to achieve partnership values? Sometimes, we need to step away from news reports and social media to seek comfort in the stories that make positive differences in our lives. In this article, the author shares a story, more than three decades in the making, of a small group of committed volunteers who tackle a most difficult and disturbing form of oppression — child sexual abuse. An annual camp program, first requested by child survivors themselves, is deeply linked to partnership system ideologies. The Victory Over Child Abuse (VOCA) Camp story actualizes partnership values by firmly wrapping them around a tenacious vision of intentionally safe community. When communities commit to partnership systems, healing and non-violence become the norm, social transformation is possible, and children are safe.

Childhood Perspectives of the Holocaust in Jurek Becker’s “The Wall” and “The Invisible City,” and Frank Beyer’s film While All Germans Are Sleeping

At the age of eight, Polish-Jewish child survivor Jurek Becker settled with his father in the Soviet Occupation Zone of Berlin, later becoming a professional writer in the German Democratic Republic. He left after a series of protests by artists and intellectuals against the expatriation of dissident singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann, and took up residence in the Federal Republic of Germany. The author of the present study addresses Becker’s short story “Die Mauer” (The Wall) and testimonial essay “Die unsichtbare Stadt” (The Invisible City), along with Frank Beyer’s 1991 film Wenn alle Deutschen schlafen (While All Germans Are Sleeping), based on “The Wall.” In particular, the author analyzes all three works in relation to other fictional representations of the Holocaust and discourses of childhood, imagination, and play. It draws on M.M. Bakhtin’s theories of narrative strategy and Johan Huizinga’s ideas about the “ludic element” (essentially, play) needed to survive totalitarian systems such as Nazism, to argue for valuing such works as important expressions by child survivors.