Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder among adult survivors three months after the Sichuan earthquake in China

Abstract

The study investigated the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated risk factors among adult survivors 3 months after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China. One thousand five hundred sixty-three earthquake survivors in two communities participated in the study. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 37.8% and 13.0%, respectively, in the two communities that were affected differently by the earthquake. The significant predictive factors for the severity of PTSD symptoms were female gender, subnationality, lower educational level, lower social support, and higher initial exposure level. The results indicate that PTSD is also a common mental health problem among earthquake survivors in China. Given inadequate knowledge and practices concerning the mental health of disaster victims in China, the information provided by this study is useful for directing, strengthening, and evaluating disaster-related mental health needs and interventions after the earthquake.

Health Problem and Occupational Stress among Chinese Doctors

“…The other research focus was the catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale occurred in Sichuan province of southwest China. During the earthquake, 69,227 people were killed, 374,643 injured, 17,923 listed as missing, and about 4.8 million were left homeless [22]. The symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and associated risk factors were investigated among health care workers in earthquake-affected areas in southwest China.…”

How Long Is Long Enough: Public Concern About the Academic Careers of Students From Areas Devastated by the Wenchuan Earthquake

“…Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety are the most frequently reported post-trauma sequelae (Freedy, Shaw, Jarrell, & Masters, 1992;Gibbs, 1989;Horowitz, 1977;Najarian, Goenjian, & Pelcovitz, 2001;Pynoos et al, 1993;Rubonis & Bickman, 1991;Scott, Knoth, Beltran-Quiones, & Gomez, 2003). The psychopathological effect of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on survivors has also been investigated recently (e.g., Wang et al, 2009). However, little is known about whether residents inside and outside of the devastated areas have different levels of concerns about the impact of the disaster.…”

Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy as Therapy to Adults with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

“…Affected to disasters [26], less knowledge affected by lower education, previous psychiatric illness (depression, anxiety), loss of something important, older or younger age at trauma, less social support, degree of exposure to the disaster and low of using to coping, these risk factors shown in more than one study and from different areas, cultures and circumstances [27]- [31].…”

“…Furthermore, there are two studies found effect the Sichuan earthquake to develop PTSD by presented 9.4% to 45.5% of survivors that complained of PTSD [31] [38].…”