Citation

Lewin TJ, Carr VJ, Webster RA. Aust. N. Zeal. J. Psychiatry 1998; 32(1): 15-20.

Affiliation

Discipline of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9565179

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify the psychosocial characteristics of high earthquake exposure subjects that were associated with the development of post-disaster morbidity and with recovery. METHOD: Data reported are from 515 participants in a longitudinal study of the psychosocial effects of the 1989 Newcastle (Australia) earthquake. Subjects were allocated to three subgroups (low morbidity; recovered; and persistent morbidity) on the basis of their Impact of Event Scale scores across the four phases of the study. Differences between these subgroups were examined on a broad range of variables. RESULTS: Several background, dispositional, coping style and exposure-related factors characterised those who developed psychological morbidity, only a small subset of which differentiated between those who recovered and those with persistent morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Post-earthquake morbidity persists longer in those who are older, have a history of emotional problems, have higher neuroticism, use more neurotic defenses, and report higher levels of post-disaster life events.

Language: en