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After the Disaster: A Children’s Mental Health Checklist
Reprinted with
Permission FEMA 500 C Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20472 Phone:
(202) 646-4600
Disasters can be particularly traumatic to children.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine the extent of the
psychological trauma, and whether or not professional mental
health services are indicated. This checklist is one way to
assess a child’s mental health status.
Add up the pluses and minuses to obtain a final score. If
the child scores more than 35, it is suggested you seek a mental
health consultation.
- Has the
child had more than one major stress within a year BEFORE this
disaster, such as a death in the family, molestation, a major
physical illness or divorce? If yes: +5
- Does the
child have a network of supportive, caring persons who continue
to relate to him daily? If yes: -10
- Has the
child had to move out of his house because of the disaster? If
yes: +5
- Was there
reliable housing within one week of the earthquake with
resumption of the usual household members living together? If
yes: -10
- Is the
child showing severe disobedience or delinquency? If yes:
+5
Is the child showing any of the following as NEW behaviors
for more than three weeks after the disaster?
- Nightly states of terror? +5
- Waking from dreams confused or in a sweat? +5
- Difficulty concentrating? +5
- Extreme irritability? +5
- Loss of previous achievements in toilet or speech? +5
- Onset of stuttering or lisping? +5
- Persistent severe anxiety or phobias? +5
- Obstinacy? +5
- New or exaggerated fears? +5
- Rituals or compulsions? +5
- Severe clinging to adults? +5
- Inability to fall asleep or stay asleep? +5
- Startling at any reminder of the disaster? +5
- Loss of ambition for the future? +5
- Loss of pleasure in usual activities? +5
- Loss of curiosity? +5
- Loss of curiosity? +5
- Persistent sadness or crying? +5
- Persistent headaches or stomach aches? +5
- Hypochondria? +5
- Has anyone in the child’s immediate family been killed or severely
injured in the disaster (including severe injury to the child)? +15
- Note: Preoccupation with death, unusual accident
proneness or suicidal threats are reasons for immediate consultations. It is also recommended that any child who has been
seriously injured or who has lost a parent, sibling or caregiver by death, have a psychological evaluation and/or brief
therapy.
- Note: This checklist was developed under the auspices
of Project COPE, a federal funded (FEMA) crisis counseling program activated in Santa Cruz, California, in response to the
October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. The project provided individual, family and group counseling, agency debriefing
services and a school intervention program. Over the course of 16 months, the project provided services to more than 25,000
individuals. Peter J. Spofford, M.S. served as Project COPE Director.
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