Factors influencing the course of posttraumatic stress following a natural disaster: Children's reactions to Hurricane Katrina ☆ Andrew M. Terranova a, ⁎, Paul Boxer a , Amanda Sheffield Morris b a Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, USA b Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Oklahoma State University, USA article info abstract Available online 28 February 2009 This investigation examined psychosocial and behavioral factors involved in the course of post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in youth affected by Hurricane Katrina. Participants (N = 152; 54% female; 61% Caucasian; mean age = 11.5 years) self-reported on hurricane exposure, PTSD symptoms, fear reactivity, regulatory abilities, social experiences, and coping 1.5 months following the storm, and on their PTSD symptoms again 8 months following the storm. Fear reactivity predicted more severe initial PTSD symptoms. Peer victimization added to the prediction of subsequent PTSD symptoms. Whereas regulatory abilities protected against PTSD symptoms both initially and across time, a negative coping style enhanced vulnerability to PTSD symptoms. Thus, mental health service providers should work to minimize peer victimization experiences, improve regulatory abilities, and promote alternatives to negative coping in youth following disasters. Published by Elsevier Inc. Keywords: Disaster Posttraumatic stress Peer victimization Coping Emotion regulation 1. Introduction Hurricane Katrina resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, and exposure to such disasters is associated with adjustment difficulties in youth (see Silverman & La Greca, 2002 for a review). However, a variety of personal and contextual factors also contribute to negative outcomes in youth following disasters (e.g., Earls, Smith, Reich, & Jung, 1988; Vernberg, La Greca, Silverman, & Prinstein, 1996). Yet little research has examined if these personal characteristics and contextual factors interact with disaster exposure to impact adjustment following a disaster. Given the negative effects of disaster exposure among youth, a better understanding of the processes whereby factors impact risk and resilience in youth following disasters can aid in intervention efforts. In this context, the present investigation examined the additive and interactive influences of theoretically relevant emotional, social, and behavioral factors on the course of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in youth following Hurricane Katrina. 1.1. Disasters and adjustment in youth Children's exposure to disasters has been linked to negative outcomes, which include anxiety and depression (Groome & Soureti, 2004; McDermott & Palmer, 2002). Most often studied, however, is the link between disaster exposure and PTSD symptoms (e.g., Garrison et al., 1995; Shaw et al., 1995), which include negative re-experiencing, avoidance, emotional numbing, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 30 (2009) 344–355 ☆ This study was supported in part by funding from the American Psychological Foundation's Koppitz Fellowship awarded to the first author. Data were collected by the first author under the supervision of the third author while both were affiliated with the University of New Orleans. We would also like to thank the administrators, teachers and students who assisted us in this project. ⁎ Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Box 13046-SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962-3046, United States. E-mail address: terranova@sfasu.edu (A.M. Terranova). 0193-3973/$ – see front matter. Published by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.017 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology