Table 2.

Factors influencing children’s emotional reactions in emergencies

• Experiencing a direct impact or indirect involvement with an adverse event

• Have suffered a previous episode of emergency

• Fear for the loss of a loved one

• Fear for the loss of a family member, close friend, or pet

• Fear for the unknown

• Uncertainty of their own health

• Have suffered physical injury

• Sense of uncertainty transmitted by parents and/or caregivers

• Separation from parents, families and/or caregivers

• Availability of family resources

• Change of routine and life conditions

• Change of lifestyles

• Cultural background

• Level of education

• Interfamily relations

• Level of communication among family members

• Recurring exposure to media coverage of traumatic events and aftermath

• Community reaction, resilience ability to respond and recover to adversities