Abstract
BackgroundOn April 14, 2010, an earthquake registering 7.1 on the Richter scale shook Qinghai Province in southwest China. The earthquake caused numerous casualties and much damage. The epicenter, Yushu County, suffered the most severe damage. As a part of the psychological relief work, the present study evaluated the mental health statuses of the people affected and identified the mental disorder risk factors related to earthquakes.MethodsFive hundred and five earthquake survivors living in Yushu County were investigated 3–4 months after the earthquake. Participant demographic data including gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, educational level, and religious beliefs were collected. The Earthquake-Specific Trauma Exposure Indicators assessed the intensity of exposure to trauma during the earthquake. The PTSD Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C) and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) assessed the symptoms and prevalence rates of probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well as anxiety and depression, respectively. The Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) evaluated subjective social support.ResultsThe prevalence rates of probable PTSD, anxiety, and depression were 33.7%, 43.8% and 38.6%, respectively. Approximately one fifth of participants suffered from all three conditions. Individuals who were female, felt initial fear during the earthquake, and had less social support were the most likely to have poor mental health.ConclusionsThe present study revealed that there are serious mental problems among the hard–hit survivors of the Yushu earthquake. Survivors at high risk for mental disorders should be specifically considered. The present study provides useful information for rebuilding and relief work.
Highlights
Earthquakes have been among the most destructive natural disasters throughout human history
The results indicate that there are significant correlations among Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression symptoms, which suggest that the occurrence of PTSD among earthquake survivors is concomitant with anxiety and depression
The results of the bivariate analyses indicate that women (OR = 2.18, 95%CI = 1.50–3.18, p,.01), Tibetan people (OR = 2.51, 95%CI = 1.50–3.18, p,.01), participants with older age (OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.01–1.04, p,.01), elementary school or below education (OR = 2.29, 95%CI = 1.43–3.67, p,.01), who are religious believers (OR = 3.07, 95%CI = 1.56–6.02, p,.01) were more likely to report scores above the cut-off for probable PTSD compared with participants without these qualities
Summary
Earthquakes have been among the most destructive natural disasters throughout human history. On April 14, 2010, an earthquake registering 7.1 on the Richter scale (with a maximum intensity of 8) shook Qinghai Province in southwest China. The epicenter was located at Yushu County This earthquake was the most destructive natural disaster in China since the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in recent years. 2,698 people were killed, including 199 students, 270 more were listed as missing, 12,135 were injured, and approximately 200,000 were affected. This earthquake caused a 1.75-meter horizontal displacement and 0.60-meter vertical fault displacement in epicenter area. On April 14, 2010, an earthquake registering 7.1 on the Richter scale shook Qinghai Province in southwest China. As a part of the psychological relief work, the present study evaluated the mental health statuses of the people affected and identified the mental disorder risk factors related to earthquakes
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