Parental Occupational Exposure is Associated With Their Children's Psychopathology: A Study of Families of Israeli First Responders

Ronit Kishon, Lupo Geronazzo-Alman*, Meir Teichman, Yona Teichman, Keely Cheslack-Postava, Bin Fan, Cristiane S. Duarte, Judith Wicks, George J. Musa, Amir Djalovski, Boaz Tadmor, Diana Rodriguez Moreno, Yael Cycowicz, Lawrence Amsel, Michaeline Bresnahan, Christina W. Hoven

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective:To examine the association between parental occupational exposure to traumatic events and their children's mental health in families of First Responders (FRs), a neglected area of research.Methods:In 208 families of Israeli FRs, children's symptoms and comorbidity patterns of seven psychiatric disorders were regressed on parental work-related variables, controlling for relevant covariates.Results:Having a father working as a FR and higher paternal exposure were associated with a greater number of separation anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms, respectively. Maternal exposure was associated with a greater number of symptoms of generalized anxiety, panic disorder, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder, and with increased odds of comorbid internalizing symptomatology.Conclusions:Additional research on children of FRs is encouraged. An adaption to this understudied population of family-centered interventions available for military families could inform targeted prevention efforts.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)904-915
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Volume62
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2020

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentU01OH011327

    Keywords

    • children
    • first responders
    • indirect exposure
    • occupational exposure
    • psychiatric disorders
    • psychopathology
    • secondary traumatization

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