TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1990//
TI  - Natural Disasters and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Short-Term versus Long-Term Recovery in Two Disaster-Affected Communities
JO  - Journal of applied social psychology
A1  - Steinglass, Peter
A1  - Gerrity, Ellen T.
SP  - 1746
EP  - 1765
VL  - 20
IS  - 21
N2  - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults following disaster-precipitated family relocation was investigated in a longitudinal study of family and individual response to natural disasters. Adult participants included 78 women and 77 men in two communities. Psychosocial adjustment was measured at two points in time: at 4 months and 16 months after the disaster. Instruments used for assessing stress-related symptomatology included the Horowitz Impact of Event Scale (HIES) and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Major findings included: (a) levels of short-term stress symptomatology and diagnosable PTSD were substantial in both communities; (b) significant decrements in these levels occurred by 16-months postdisaster;(c) substantial gender differences (greater levels for women) were apparent in both short- and long-term PTSD response rates; and (d) patterns and levels of PTSD symptoms were different in the two communities. Findings have implications for the interpretation of PTSD within the context of family- and community-level variables.<p />
LA  - 
SN  - 0021-9029
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1990.tb01509.x
ID  - ref1
ER  -