Parental and offspring psychopathological disorders after the 2012 Italian earthquake

Abstract

Abstract Background Parental mental health can affect offspring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but up to now few data focused on families exposed to natural disasters. Thus, this study aimed at investigating the association between parental and youth psychopathology after the Italian earthquake of 2012. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 1162 parents and 682 children and adolescents (9-14 years) living in two districts, earthquake area (EA) and control area (CA), were assessed for psychopathological distress two years after the earthquake. Children filled in the UCLA PTSD-Index for DSM-IV, an exposure questionnaire, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); parents the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Results Parents in EA showed a higher frequency of psychopathological difficulties than those in CA (28% vs 17.5% had a SCL-90 global score over the cutoff, p < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were the most prevalent disorder, followed by obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, somatization and anxiety. Compared to fathers, mothers had significantly higher scores, especially in the EA sample. Both SCL90 total and symptom domain scores correlated with PTSD total and clusters scores, especially for hyperarousal and re-experiencing. Parental anxiety, depression and somatization showed the highest correlations. Considering SDQ, mothers' psychopathology resulted to be associated mainly with offspring's emotional and peer problems, while fathers' disorders affected mainly children's hyperactivity. Conclusions This study showed a significant association between parental mental health and both PTSD and emotional/behavioral problems among offspring after earthquake. These results should be carefully considered when planning mental health support interventions in areas affected by earthquakes. Key messages Parental psychopathology and PTSD and other emotional/behavioral difficulties in children tend to cluster in families exposed to natural disasters, especially earthquakes. Parental and offspring psychopathological disorders should be considered when planning mental health support interventions in areas affected by earthquakes.