Identification and treatment of Nepal 2015 earthquake survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder by nonspecialist volunteers: An exploratory cross-sectional study

Indian Journal of Psychiatry
A JhaRajesh Nehete

Abstract

In April 2015, a major earthquake struck northern regions of Nepal affecting one-third of the population, and many suffered mental health problems. This study aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation of prevalence and feasibility of brief therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among earthquake survivors. This is an exploratory cross-sectional study of prevalence and feasibility of brief trauma-focused therapy for PTSD among survivors 3 and 11 months after the earthquake in affected areas near Kathmandu. A team of local nonspecialist mental health volunteers was trained to identify survivors with PTSD using the PTSD checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) (cutoff score 38). They were trained to deliver either shortened versions of narrative exposure therapy (NET)-revised or group-based control-focused behavioral treatment (CFBT). Altogether, 333 survivors were surveyed (130 in July 2015 and 203 in March 2016) with PCL-5 as the screening instrument, using the cutoff score of 38 or more for diagnosing PTSD. A PTSD prevalence of 33% was noted in 2015 and 28.5% in 2016. This drop of 4.5% prevalence in the intervening 8 months suggests that a significant number of survi...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 21, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Alisha KcFebi Dwirahmadi
Nov 19, 2020·Psychotherapy Research : Journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research·Sebastian SiehlAnselm Crombach

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