Baseline assessment of children traumatized by the Armenian earthquake.

Assessed at baseline for longitudinal study is the impact of the Armenian earthquake on children screened through the Children's Psychotherapy Center in Kirovakan, Armenia. The earthquake caused close to 25,000 deaths, almost two thirds of which were children and adolescents. Examined herein are memory functioning and clinical data collected on a baseline level which provides a better understanding of both diagnostic indicators and trauma processing in child survivors of the Armenian earthquake. Current theory related to processing of trauma in children is reviewed as are recommendations for further research.