The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and quality of life in infertile Shidu parents from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake: the moderating role of social support

Abstract

Introduction Because of the one-child policy in force in China from 1979 to 2015, most parents were only allowed to have a single child. Of all the Sichuan earthquake victims, there was a special group called the Shidu parents who lost their only childin the earthquake. Aim The aim of this study was to identify the related risk factors for the Shidu parents' quality of life (QOL) and to examine the role of socialsupport as a moderator between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and QOL in Shidu parents. Method A cross-sectional sample survey was conducted tocollect data from 10 heavily damaged counties in Sichuan province (n=176). Discussion PTSD was found to be negatively associated with the Shidu parents' QOL, and social support had a major effect on moderating the association between the PTSD and QOL in Shidu parents. Implications for practice Developing suitable social support could be considered a key part of psychological intervention strategies to promote QOL in Shidu parents suffering from PTSD. This study could provide decision support for mental health professionals (e.g. nurses and psychiatrists) working on mental crisis interventions with Shidu parents.