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Loss as a determinant of PTSD in a cohort of adult survivors of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia: implications for policy
Author(s) -
Armenian Haroutune K.,
Morikawa Masahiro,
Melkonian Arthur K.,
Hovanesian Ashot P.,
Haroutunian Nune,
Saigh Philip A.,
Akiskal Knarig,
Akiskal Hagop S.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0447.2000.102001058.x
Subject(s) - epidemiology , psychiatry , injury prevention , suicide prevention , poison control , cohort , medicine , occupational safety and health , cohort study , population , demography , psychology , clinical psychology , medical emergency , environmental health , pathology , sociology
Objective: To study the relationship of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to severity of the disaster experience. Method: A sample of 1785 adult participants of an epidemiological study initiated in the immediate aftermath of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia were interviewed about 2 years following the disaster based on the NIMH DIS‐Disaster Supplement. All 154 cases of pure PTSD were compared with 583 controls without symptoms satisfying psychiatric diagnoses of interest. Results: PTSD cases included more persons from areas with the worst destruction. Having the highest level of education compared to lowest (OR 0.6 [95% CI 0.4–0.9]), being accompanied at the moment of the earthquake (OR 0.6 [95% CI 0.4–0.9]) and making new friends after the earthquake (OR 0.6 [95% CI 0.5–0.8]) were protective for PTSD. PTSD risk increased with the total amount of loss to the family (OR for highest level of loss 4.1 [95% CI 2.3–7.5]). Conclusion: Based on this large population sample, we believe that early support to survivors with high levels of loss may reduce PTSD following earthquakes.