THE LOS ANGELES EARTHQUAKE : Advice Given on Calming Fears of Children, Adults : Doctors Predict Psychological Tremors

Psychological aftershocks from Thursday’s earthquake are likely to hit millions of Southern Californians in the next few days, mental health professionals warned Friday.

“People are still dealing with the shock of the event,” said Dr. Charles Veals, coordinator of psychiatric emergency services for Los Angeles County. “It may take several days to feel the full psychological impact.”

“Two-thirds of the population will experience some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder over the next few weeks,” predicted Dr. Calvin J. Frederick, a UCLA and Veterans Administration psychiatrist and expert on dealing with the psychological aftermath of disasters. He said the reaction will not be not limited to, nor necessarily be more severe in, residents of Whittier, the quake’s epicenter.

Expected symptoms include persistent thoughts about the event, sleep and appetite disturbances, nightmares, numbness or hyper-alertness and loss of interest in usual activities.

Psychologists and psychiatrists agree that such reactions are normal and should dissipate quickly. Many recommended discussing the event with family and friends and carrying out preparations for a repeat quake.

Some Will Need Counseling

However, Frederick said, 15% to 20% of the cases will be serious enough to call for professional counseling, usually because the quake experience has triggered or tapped some unrelated, underlying psychological problem.

“If, after a week or two, you are still having difficulties, you should start thinking about getting help,” said Veals, adding that referrals to clinics throughout the county are available by telephoning the county’s crisis evaluation unit in Norwalk at (213) 868-1721.

Those who witnessed death or destruction from the quake and survivors of a previous traumatic event, be it an earthquake, flood or rape, are at special risk for psychological problems, some psychiatrists noted.

Many of those most traumatized by an earthquake are children, who take their cue from their parents and their level of understanding of earthquakes.

“The first thing parents have to do is stay calm themselves,” said Los Angeles child psychologist Robert Butterworth. “If the earth is shaking and the parents are shaking, the child’s world is in trouble.”

Children are often more afraid than adults because they don’t intellectually understand what a quake is--and may attribute the shaking to monsters or ghosts. They are terrified by the ground under them shaking, and they realize that their own parents are really frightened, too.

Variations of Reactions

Children may have nightmares, refuse to go to bed or to school, wet the bed, cry often, demand to sleep with their parents, insist that the lights be left on, and jump at the slightest noise.

“Hold them close. Reassure them that you’ll do everything to make sure they are safe the next time. And be there when they need you,” is a simple formula that works, said Dr. William Arroyo, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Stephen J. Howard, a psychologist at the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Center and the author of “Coping with Children’s Reaction to an Earthquake and Other Disasters,” had several hints for parents:

- Explain to the child what an earthquake is and involve the child in preparing for a repeat temblor. Discussing the topic does not increase fear, Howard said, but makes the child feel more secure.

- Talk about the child’s feelings and encourage the child to swap stories with friends and neighbors. Don’t lie that you weren’t frightened. “We are all frightened, and saying, ‘Come on, it’s no big deal’ is a mistake because it makes the child think there’s something wrong with him that he’s afraid.” Asking your child to draw a picture of the earthquake is a good way to get into such a discussion.

- Get busy and resume normal activity.

- Reassure the child that you will be with him as soon as possible. “Being left alone is what children are most afraid of,” Howard said.

Mental health professionals say most people will regain their equilibrium by next week--and suggest that we should make preparations for another quake before our fears evaporate.

In a survey of 3,500 Californians recently, UCLA sociologist Ralph Turner found that while nearly all believe that a big earthquake is coming and that it will do widespread damage, even those who have been through a previous quake aren’t worried. They persist in the belief that it will hit “somebody else,” and continue to avoid planning to protect themselves or their homes.