Abstract
BackgroundFew clues were found in the literature about the independent risk factors for PTSD among earthquake survivors in Sichuan province three years after the 2008 earthquake. Ours was the first case-control study with matching factors of age and distance from the epicenter among survivors age 16 years or older, three years after the catastrophe.ObjectivesTo identify independent risk factors for PTSD among earthquake survivors.MethodsWe performed a population-based matched case-control study. The cases were drawn from earthquake areas three years after the Wenchuan earthquake, including 113 cases who met positive criteria for PTSD symptoms according to the PCL-C (PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version) score and 452 controls who did not meet the criteria. Cases and controls were matched individually by birth year (+ three years) and the town they lived in when the earthquake occurred.ResultsIndependent risk factors for PTSD symptoms included two-week disease prevalence (odds ratio [OR],1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.18–3.13), witnessing someone being killed in the earthquake (OR, 2.04;95%CI, 1.17–3.58), having no regular income after the earthquake (OR, 0.52; 95%CI, 0.28–0.98), receiving mental health support only one time after the earthquake (OR, 2.43; 95%CI, 1.09–5.42) and lower social support (lower PSSS score) (OR, 0.95; 95%CI, 0.93–0.97).ConclusionEarthquake experience, suffering from physical illnesses, lack of stable income, and lower social support were associated with PTSD symptoms.
Highlights
The Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008—the strongest earthquake since the establishment of People’s Republic of China (PRC)—has caused great life and financial losses
The percentage of people who had a regular income after the earthquake was lower for cases than for controls
Two-week disease prevalence(odds ratio(OR = 1.92; 95%confidence intervals (CI) = 1.18to 3.13), witnessing someone being killed in the earthquake(OR = 2.04; 95%CI = 1.17 to 3.58), having no regular income after the earthquake(OR = 0.52; 95%CI = 0.28 to 0.98), receiving mental health support only one time after the earthquake(OR = 2.43; 95%CI = 1.09 to 5.42), and lower PSSS score (OR = 0.95; 95%CI = 0.93 to 0.97) were revealed to be independent risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (Table 2)
Summary
The Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008—the strongest earthquake since the establishment of People’s Republic of China (PRC)—has caused great life and financial losses. Post-disaster reconstruction, planned to be complete within three years, was finished ahead of schedule in May 2011, according to claims by Wen Jiabao, the Prime Minister of China [1]. People who have survived a catastrophe such as an earthquake may develop psychological trauma and psychiatric disease, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a common mental health problem among earthquake survivors in China[2], and it may last for a long time. Few clues were found in the literature about the independent risk factors for PTSD among earthquake survivors in Sichuan province three years after the 2008 earthquake. Ours was the first case-control study with matching factors of age and distance from the epicenter among survivors age 16 years or older, three years after the catastrophe
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