15 research outputs found
Post-disaster healthcare for parents. A longitudinal study of the mothers and fathers of the Utøya survivors
No full textMothers and fathers may suffer severe traumatisation from learning of or witnessing events that threaten the lives of their children. Adolescents and young adults are often among victims of terrorist attacks. Yet, little is known about parents’ post-disaster healthcare needs.
This thesis investigates post-disaster healthcare services provided to parents of the survivors of the 2011 Utøya terrorist attack, by combining registry-based data on parental healthcare consumption in the three-year periods before and after the terrorist attack with self-reported data from the mothers and fathers, and their children. A broad range of healthcare services were addressed, including regular primary and specialised healthcare and the extraordinary crisis response programme set up by municipalities throughout the country in the wake of the attack.
The extraordinary crisis response programme succeeded in reaching out to a majority of the parents. Yet, parents of non-Norwegian origin and of non-intact families ran an increased risk of being left out of the proactive follow-up. Nearly all mothers and fathers turned to their general practitioner (GP) for help, a majority for psychological health complaints. More frequent GP visits was related to higher levels of distress. A minority of the more distressed parents were also provided for by specialised mental healthcare providers.
In conclusion, Parents witnessing or learning of a terrorist attack that threatens the life of their children may be in need of a wide range of post-disaster healthcare services. GPs may play a key role in providing for general complaints in the many, whereas specialised mental healthcare providers may play an important role in providing for the needs of the most severely traumatised. Psychosocial crisis response programmes may proactively facilitate access to healthcare, but need to find ways to overcome sociodemographic barriers to outreach in parents
Healthcare to parents of young terrorism survivors: a registry-based study in Norway
No full textObjectivesTo assess changes in parents’ short-term and long-term primary and specialised healthcare consumption following a terrorist attack threatening the lives of their children.DesignRegistry-based study comparing parental healthcare service consumption in the 3 years before and the 3 years after a terrorist attack.SettingThe aftermath of the Utøya terrorist attack. The regular, publicly funded, universal healthcare system in Norway. Parents learning of a terrorist attack on their adolescent and young adult child ren.ParticipantsMothers (n=226) and fathers (n=141) of a total of 263 survivors of the Utøya terrorist attack (54.6% of all survivors 13–33 years, n=482).Main outcome measuresWe report primary and specialised somatic and mental healthcare service consumption in the early (0–6 months) and delayed (>6–36 months) aftermath of the attack, both in terms of frequency of services consumed (assessed by age-adjusted negative binomial hurdle regression) and proportions of mothers and fathers provided for (mean semiannual values). The predisaster and postdisaster rates were compared by rate ratios (RRs), and 95% CI were generated through bootstrap replications.ResultsFrequency of primary healthcare service consumption increased significantly in both mothers and fathers in the early aftermath of the attack (mothers: RR=1.97, 95% CI 1.76 to 2.23; fathers: RR=1.73, 95% CI 1.36 to 2.29) and remained significantly elevated throughout the delayed aftermath. In the specialised mental healthcare services, a significant increase in the frequency of service consumption was observed in mothers only (early: RR=7.00, 95% CI 3.86 to 19.02; delayed: RR=3.20, 95% CI 1.49 to 9.49). In specialised somatic healthcare, no significant change was found.ConclusionFollowing terrorist attacks, healthcare providers must prepare for increased healthcare needs in survivors and their close family members, such as parents. Needs may present shortly after the attack and require long-term follow-up.</jats:sec
