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Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Its Correlates Among Junior High School Students at 53 Months After Experiencing an Earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2018

Qiaolan Liu ,
Min Jiang ,
Yang Yang ,
Huan Zhou ,
Yanyang Zhou ,
Min Yang ,
Huanyu Xu  and
Yuanyi Ji
Qiaolan Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Health-Related Social and Behavioral Science, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Drs Liu, Yang, Zhou, Xu, and Ms Ji);
Min Jiang
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Dr Jiang);
Yang Yang
Affiliation:
Department of Health-Related Social and Behavioral Science, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Drs Liu, Yang, Zhou, Xu, and Ms Ji);
Huan Zhou
Affiliation:
Department of Health-Related Social and Behavioral Science, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Drs Liu, Yang, Zhou, Xu, and Ms Ji);
Yanyang Zhou
Affiliation:
Department of Health Policy and Management, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Drs Yang and Zhou);
Min Yang*
Affiliation:
Department of Health Policy and Management, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Drs Yang and Zhou); School of Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology, Victory, Australia (Dr Yang)
Huanyu Xu
Affiliation:
Department of Health-Related Social and Behavioral Science, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Drs Liu, Yang, Zhou, Xu, and Ms Ji);
Yuanyi Ji
Affiliation:
Department of Health-Related Social and Behavioral Science, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China (Drs Liu, Yang, Zhou, Xu, and Ms Ji);
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Min Yang, Department of Health Policy and Management, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China 610041 (e-mail: yangmin2013@scu.edu.cn).
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Abstract

Objective

To identify the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its determinants among adolescents more than 4 years after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

Method

Adolescents (1,125 total) from 2 junior high schools in areas affected by the catastrophic earthquake were followed up for 3 years. The self-rating PTSD scale based on the Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) and the Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disorders, 2nd Edition, Revised (CCMD-2-R) was collected at 53 months, and determinant data were collected repeatedly. Logistic regression was used for a determinants analysis.

Results

The prevalence of overall PTSD was 23.4% among the sample. The risk factors for PTSD were older age (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.20~1.92), and death or injury of a family member in the earthquake (OR=1.61, 95% CI: 1.09~2.37). Adolescents who had moderate-to-severe common mental health problems were more likely to have PTSD symptoms, with ORs from 3.98 to 17.67 (All P<0.05). Self-esteem remained a protective factor for PTSD regardless of age, whereas positive coping was a protective factor for PTSD when adolescents were older.

Conclusion

PTSD symptoms among adolescent survivors of a catastrophic earthquake seemed to persist over time. Long-term interventions are needed to alleviate PTSD symptoms among adolescent survivors. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:414-418)

Keywords

adolescentcommon mental health problemearthquakeposttraumatic stress disorderprevalence
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , June 2019 , pp. 414 - 418
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 

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References

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