Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.

Firefighters have now contained deadly wildfires that just after the new year devastated whole swaths of Los Angeles. Schools are reopening and, for some families, life is returning to normal.
But the historic blazes, which in January prompted the emergency closure of the nation’s second-largest district and burned some schools completely, made a lasting impression on children and teenagers, said Dr. Frank Manis, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Southern California.
Kids whose lives were disrupted in the wildfires may experience post-traumatic stress, said Manis. But thankfully, he said, the research from past natural disasters shows even children badly impacted by the blazes in LA may begin to feel normal within a few months.
“Generally, most kids are resilient,” said Manis. “Especially if there’s a really good environment, with supportive parents and teachers, and maybe even some therapy.”
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What do previous natural disasters teach us about the experiences of kids living through the LA wildfires today?
There is actually pretty good research on kids who went through Hurricane Katrina and were displaced in that disaster. It’s that experience of not being able to go back to your school, which is what’s happening in the Palisades.
The good news is, those kids who were displaced in Katrina generally made full recoveries. Two-thirds or three-fourths of them were completely fine several months later, according to all sorts of psychological assessments.
That’s good to know.
What young people suffer from most in these situations is the disruption of their routines and their friendships. Particularly for teenagers, it’s being away from their friends.
Social media can be beneficial in this case, because kids can connect with their friends. It’s where they can feel a sense of normalcy returning.
The transition can be difficult.
We see two broad categories of psychological problems in kids exposed to trauma. Kids might experience one, or both, of these types of symptoms.
One, we call internalizing problems. That’s where you’re taking it in. Internalizing symptoms would be things like anxiety or depression. Complaining of stomach aches, or headaches or what we call somatic complaints of the body.
And then there’s externalizing, where you’re lashing out. For externalizing, you might see kids having a temper tantrum, getting into fights, not paying attention or refusing direction.
What’s the prognosis for recovery?
For the timeline on recovery from mild trauma, the ballpark is usually one to two years. With some other kids it’s more severe. Sometimes parents have to be really patient.
Why are symptoms worse for some kids than others?
One thing about trauma is, the more you experience it, the more it becomes kind of deeply seated in your brain and your body.
The Katrina kids were displaced for many months, and often they had to go back to a completely different school. And yet the studies show most of those kids are okay.
So I am pretty optimistic that kids displaced in our fires can get back to normal in school.
That’s good to hear.
Yes. I actually have a surprise for you. I was jotting down some ideas for this interview, and I got inspired and wrote down a list of seven things parents, caregivers or teachers can do to help kids impacted by the fires. Would you like to hear my list?
Of course!
So, here’s number one. Help children label their emotions. When they express emotions, validate them. Say ‘yeah, you were scared,’ or ‘that’s right, we were scared.’ This is just a general practice of child development that you would do with any kid. But you need to do it more so, for kids under stress.
Number two is to be honest with kids. If they ask, ‘Did my friend ‘s house burn down?’ Be truthful. Usually, kids just want a short answer. They don’t want a big lecture
That gets me to point number three, which is to share what adults are doing to help children and keep them safe. Reassure kids and say you’re doing everything you can to make them safe.
Number four would be for all kids and teenagers to reconnect with their friends. Friends are super important. If kids can’t go back to school right away, they can reconnect on social media or on the phone or even just texting.
Number five, try to establish routines and structure as soon as possible. Even if your family is staying in a shelter, try to sketch out as much of a routine as you can. Things like dinner routines, bedtime routines.
Number six, remain vigilant for any behavior or emotions that are not usual for the kid. Kids might be internalizing or externalizing some trauma response. Just stay connected and try to figure out what’s going on.
Last, number seven. Especially for older kids and teens, enlist their help in what you’re doing in the crisis. Say, “I could really use your help.” That will help them feel like they’re contributing. They’ll know they can do something useful, and that they’re not helpless.