Children of victims of terrorism revisited: integrating individual and family treatment approaches

Abstract

Children and their guardians, seen in treatment following the death of the children's parents in terrorist activities, were interviewed again ten years later. The earlier therapy had concentrated on promoting interpersonal family strengths but, at follow-up, psychopathology indicative of unresolved trauma was reported. A process view of posttraumatic adjustment and treatment is presented, and more structured research designed to test these clinical observations is proposed.