Does a non-destructive earthquake cause posttraumatic stress disorder? A cross-sectional study

Abstract

This study evaluated the prevalence and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adolescents who experienced non-destructive, moderate magnitude earthquake. Four hundred and fifty students (214 girls and 236 boys between the ages of 12-14) were selected from secondary schools located within Konya province in Turkey, 6 months after the earthquake. They were chosen to participate in this cross-sectional study by simple random sampling. The students were evaluated by the child posttraumatic stress reaction index. Of all the students, we found that 3.5% had very severe, 20.8% had severe, 28.4% had moderate and 20% had mild symptoms of PTSD and that 24.3% had probable PTSD diagnoses. The most common PTSD symptoms were trauma-related fears, social avoidance, emotional detachment and the concentration difficulty. Limitations and implications for research studies are included in the discussion.