@article{ref1,
title="Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety and Depression among the Elderly: A Survey of the Hard-hit Areas a Year after the Wenchuan Earthquake",
journal="Stress and Health",
year="2012",
author="Zhang, Zhen and Shi, Zhanbiao and Wang, Li and Liu, Mingxin",
volume="28",
number="1",
pages="61-68",
abstract="Few studies to date have examined psychological sequelae of natural disasters among the elderly in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rates of probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression in the elderly survivors a year after the Wenchuan earthquake as well as to analyse related risk factors. The community-based sample of the study consisted of 284 elderly survivors (≥60 years). PTSD was assessed by the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version, and anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist. In total, the estimated prevalence rates of probable PTSD, anxiety and depression were 26.3%, 42.9% and 35.2%, respectively. Nearly a fifth of the elderly participants reported symptoms that meet the criteria for all three of these mental disorders. Results indicated that some factors associated with earthquake-exposure intensity, which included loss of livelihood, bereavement, injury and initial fear during the earthquake, were among the significant risk factors for these mental disorders. Women had a higher risk of suffering from probable anxiety as compared to men. Finally, the significance and limitations of this study were also discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1532-3005",
doi="10.1002/smi.1403",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smi.1403"
}