Growing Pains: The Impact of Disaster-Related and Daily Stressors on the Psychological and Psychosocial Functioning of Youth in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Daily stressors may mediate the relation between exposure to disaster-related stressors and psychological and psychosocial distress among youth in disaster-affected countries. A sample of 427 Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim youth (mean age = 14.5) completed a survey with measures of exposure to disaster-related stressors and daily stressors, psychological distress (posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety), and psychosocial distress. The results indicated that daily stressors significantly mediated relations between war- and tsunami-related stressors and psychological and psychosocial distress. Some daily stressors not directly related to disaster also predicted functioning. These results point to the need for policies and interventions that focus on reducing proximal daily stressors that are salient to Sri Lankan youth exposed to disasters.