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The presence of post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms in earthquake survivors one month after a mudslide in southwest C hina
Author(s) -
Chen Hong,
Chen Yanling,
Au Maylan,
Feng Ling,
Chen Qian,
Guo Hongxia,
Li Yun,
Yang Xiaoling
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/nhs.12127
Subject(s) - traumatic stress , intervention (counseling) , rehabilitation , medicine , psychiatry , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , mental health , injury prevention , gerontology , poison control , psychology , clinical psychology , medical emergency , physical therapy , pathology
The psychological impact of a mudslide on survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake in C hina and the risk factors for development of disaster‐related post‐traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) were investigated. The study design was cross‐sectional and included 1321 survivors who had endured both an earthquake and a mudslide. Participants filled out a self‐report questionnaire. One month after the mudslide, the rate of PTSD symptoms was 18.7%. Females, the elderly, those with lower educational levels, those that lacked social support, those who did not take precautionary measures, those living with children below 6 years of age, and those who had higher exposure to traumatic events experienced a higher level of PTSD symptoms. Results indicated that timely rescue, abundant material help, and mental rehabilitation after a disaster play important roles in recovery, and that there are still some high‐risk groups that need attention, care, and effective intervention from healthcare professionals and society.