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Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Trajectories Following the Fatal 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake
Author(s) -
Jones Hannah,
Dorahy Martin J.,
Britt Eileen,
Rowlands Amy,
Renouf Charlotte,
Carter Janet D.,
Hanna Donncha
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.22387
Subject(s) - anxiety , generalized anxiety disorder , depression (economics) , poison control , injury prevention , socioeconomic status , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , psychiatry , psychology , anxiety disorder , demography , mental health , odds ratio , public health , medicine , clinical psychology , medical emergency , environmental health , population , pathology , sociology , economics , macroeconomics , nursing
People respond differently to potentially traumatic events. To explore predictors of a chronic and delayed trajectory of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after a natural disaster, we analyzed psychometric data collected from 412 residents of Christchurch, New Zealand after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck in February 2011. Participants from suburbs with different levels of socioeconomic status (SES) and earthquake impact completed a door‐to‐door survey 4–7 months after the earthquake (Time 1; N = 600) and again 10–11 months after the earthquake (Time 2; N = 412). The survey included the Acute Stress Disorder Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire's nine‐item Depression subscale, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 scale, along with single‐item measures of variables including aftershock anxiety and family tension. Hobfoll's conservation of resources theory was used to guide data interpretation. High levels of depression, odds ratio ( OR ) = 1.24, and anxiety, OR = 1.24, at Time 1 significantly predicted membership in the chronic trajectory. Predictors of a delayed onset of symptoms included increased aftershock anxiety, OR = 1.29, and family tension, OR = 1.35, over time, as well as living in an area defined as being of low, OR = 5.36, or medium, OR = 11.39, SES. Results highlight risk factors for elevated PTSS and resources that individuals can use to offset threatened loss. These findings have implications for service providers, agencies, and the public.