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Predictors of psychological distress in survivors of the 1999 earthquakes in Turkey: effects of relocation after the disaster
Author(s) -
Kılıç C.,
Aydın İ.,
Taşkıntu.,
Özçürümez G.,
Kurt G.,
Eren E.,
Lale T.,
Özel S.,
Zileli L.
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00786.x
Subject(s) - relocation , depression (economics) , distress , traumatic stress , social support , psychological distress , psychiatry , medicine , clinical psychology , psychology , mental health , computer science , economics , psychotherapist , macroeconomics , programming language
Objective: Relocations after disasters are known to cause added distress in survivors. This study examined the effects of migration and other factors on psychological status of survivors 4 years after the two severe earthquakes in Turkey. Method: Five hundred and twenty‐six adult survivors of the 1999 earthquakes currently living in Ankara were given self‐report measures assessing traumatic stress, depression, earthquake experience and social support. Results: The rates of current post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression were 25% and 11%, respectively. Although both traumatic stress and depression factors were predicted by some demographic and trauma severity variables, relocation status predicted depression but not traumatic stress. Conclusion: The rates of psychological distress were higher than expected in a city considered to be safe in terms of earthquake risk. Relocation after the disaster may increase psychological distress by disrupting the social network.