Objective To evaluate the mental status of survivors after Wenchuan earthquake, so as to provide relevant information for psychological and medical intervention. Methods Demographic data was recorded and the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) was evaluated. The acute stress disorder (ASD) were assessed with the DSM-IV criteria in the survivors from the central earthquake area who are now living in two shelters in Chengdu. Results Among the 780 retrieved questionnaires, 729 baseline registration forms and 450 PCL-C were valid. In the 729 baseline registration forms, male to female ratio was 1:1.31 and the mean age was 36.73±20.82. 9.5% of subjects suffered from physical diseases, 9.7% needed assistance in daily activities, 70.7% were passive and didn’t participate in community activities, 9.1% suffered from severe psychological problems. In the present study, 30.9% of subjects were found to meet the DSM-IV criteria for ASD. 41.3%, 22.2% and 18.4% of subjects had a PCL-C score ≥ 38, ≥ 45 and ≥50, respectively. Consistency check showed there was no significant difference between the screening result of PCL-C score ≥45 and clinical diagnosis (Kappa=0.780, P=0.033). There was significant difference in the age of subjects between ASD and non-ASD groups (Plt;0.05). Conclusion The earthquake survivors suffered from psychological problems after the disaster in the early stage. Thus, in addition to life rescue, we should pay more attention to psychological intervention.
Little is known about the objective sleep characteristics of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study examines the association between PTSD symptom severity and objective daytime sleep characteristics measured using the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) in therapy-naive patients with earthquake-related PTSD. A total of 23 PTSD patients and 13 trauma-exposed non-PTSD (TEN-PTSD) subjects completed one-night in-lab polysomnography (PSG) followed by a standard MSLT. 8 of the 23 PTSD patients received paroxetine treatment. Compared to the TEN-PTSD subjects, no significant nighttime sleep disturbances were detected by PSG in the subjects with PTSD; however, a shorter mean MSLT value was found in the subjects with PTSD. After adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index, PTSD symptoms, particularly hyperarousal, were found to be independently associated with a shorter MSLT value. Further, the mean MSLT value increased significantly after therapy in PTSD subjects. A shorter MSLT value may be a reliable index of the medical severity of PTSD, while an improvement in MSLT values might also be a reliable marker for evaluating therapeutic efficacy in PTSD patients.
Objective: Millions of children were exposed to major earthquake in China, with serious psychological and developmental consequences. To obtain accurate rate of post-disaster related disorder and identify predictors may help inform post-disaster rescue and rehabilitation efforts. The present longitudinal study explored correlations of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of juvenile survivors of the Ya'an and Wenchuan earthquakes in China with their trajectories of post-disaster related disorder. Methods: A total of 435 Chinese children and adolescents who survived the 2013 Ya'an earthquake were recruited from six primary, secondary and high schools in Baoxing County. All survivors were assessed at 12 months after the disaster, when a trained psychiatrist assessed mental health problems in a face-to-face structured interview, and 153 survivors were followed up at 30 months after the earthquake via telephone. Results: The 12-month assessment indicated a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence of 43.9% as well as depression (20.9%) or the criteria for both PTSD and depression (18.2%) and the other disorder (0.9%). The 30-month assessment indicated that 15.7% of subjects met the criteria for PTSD, 21.6% met the criteria for depression. No subjects met the criteria for other affective or anxiety disorders. Significant predictors of PTSD and depression were death in the family, previous earthquake experience, a poor parent child relationship and economic pressure or poverty. Limitations: Clinical interview face to face is quite different from via telephone and the attrition rate in the longitudinal cohort is high, which would directly affect our results of the assessment. Conclusions: PTSD and depression may be as prevalent and persistent in disaster victims in China as elsewhere, and high co-comorbidities remain poorly understood. Although many adolescents recover over time, some exhibit chronic, delayed-onset PTSD and depression, especially those with poor relationships with their parents or those living in precarious economic conditions. Family-based therapy may be needed to support child and adolescent trauma survivors in order to prevent mental illness. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.