Citation

Chen H, Chen Y, Au M, Feng L, Chen Q, Guo H, Li Y, Yang X. Nurs. Health Sci. 2014; 16(1): 39-45.

Affiliation

West China Hospital/West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/nhs.12127

PMID

24635896

Abstract

The psychological impact of a mudslide on survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake in China 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.

Language: en