Research paperPosttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in parents and adolescents after the Wenchuan earthquake: A longitudinal actor-partner interdependence model

•Longitudinal APIMs were used to examine PTSS within dyads.•Parents' PTSS at T12m prospectively predicted adolescents' PTSS at T18m.•Adolescents' PTSS at T12m only predicted maternal but not paternal PTSS at T18m.

BackgroundPrevious research has examined the association between parents' and children's posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS) after a variety of traumatic events. However, longitudinal parent-child dyadic studies are scarce.MethodsIndependent self-reports were collected from parent-adolescent dyads (n = 688) after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Adolescents (Mean = 15.22 years; 61.63% female) and one of their parents (Mean = 41.04 years; 58.14% female) each reported on their PTSS at 12 (T12m) and 18 months (T18m) following the earthquake. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) were used to examine PTSS within dyads.ResultsThe prevalence rates of probable PTSD at T12m and T18m were 18.90% and 11.92% in adolescents; as well as 22.09% and 15.12% in parents, showing a significant decline over time. After adjusted for earthquake exposure, both maternal and paternal PTSS at T12m prospectively predicted adolescent girls' and boys' PTSS at T18m (mother to daughter: β = 0.13; mother to son: β = 0.17; father to daughter: β = 0.17; father to son: β = 0.33), while adolescent girls' and boys' PTSS at T12m only predicted maternal PTSS at T18m (daughter to mother: β = 0.20; son to mother: β = 0.20), but not paternal PTSS at T18m.LimitationsSelf-reported measures other than clinical reviews were used to collect data.ConclusionsThis study highlights the mutual impacts of adolescent and parental (especially maternal) PTSS after a disaster. Psychological prevention and intervention for adolescent disaster survivors should adopt a whole family approach.