Citation

Liao TL, Chen YS, Chen CY, Chien LY. Stress Health 2014; 30(4): 265-271.

Affiliation

Taichung Municipal Da Dun Junior High School, Taichung, Taiwan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/smi.2506

PMID

23824636

Abstract

We examined the impact of the 921 Taiwan Earthquake on internalizing and externalizing behaviours among junior high school students 2 and 4 years after the earthquake. This study was a secondary analysis using data extracted from the Taiwan Education Panel Survey and included 12111 students. The impact of the earthquake was assessed by the length of time to restore the home environment and whether a family member died or was severely injured in the earthquake. Generalized estimating equations showed that living in an urban area and a longer duration after the earthquake were associated with increased internalizing and externalizing behaviours. Boys reported more externalizing but fewer internalizing behaviours than girls. After adjustment for those variables, having a family member who had died or was severely injured was not significantly associated with increased internalizing and externalizing behaviours. However, a longer duration of time to restore the home environment was significantly associated with these behaviours. Regardless of the impact level of the disaster, adolescents had increased internalizing and externalizing behaviours from the seventh to ninth grades. Post-disaster mental health services should continue monitoring and supporting children whose ordinary home living is affected by a natural disaster up to 4 years post-disaster. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Language: en