Citation

Ghazali SR, Elklit A, Yaman K, Ahmad M. J. Loss Trauma 2013; 18(3): 260-274.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15325024.2012.688703

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

While physical infrastructure is quickly rebuilt following a natural disaster, the psychological effects on victims are often neglected. This study investigated symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adolescents exposed to the 2004 tsunami in Northern Peninsular Malaysia. The randomly selected participants were 216 adolescents living in small villages affected by the tsunami. The study used a cross-sectional design in which PTSD symptoms were assessed with the Child Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index. Results showed that 8.3% of the participants had severe symptoms of PTSD, 39.8% had moderate symptoms, 42.1% had mild symptoms, and 9.7% had no significant symptoms. Females had significantly higher criterion B symptom scores than males. Multiple regression analysis results indicated that number of lifetime traumas and age were significant predictors of PTSD scores. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was high even 4 years after the tsunami, a finding consistent with previous studies. The findings are discussed and several recommendations put forward.