Prevalence and Determinants of PTSD 3 Years After an Earthquake in Iran

Community Mental Health Journal
Hassan RafieyYahya Salimi

Abstract

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most debilitating and costly mental health problems that can develop following exposure to natural disasters. Nevertheless, much remains unknown about how to best address PTSD and other mental health needs in disaster-stricken areas, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas. The present study is a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in rural areas that were affected by a destructive earthquake in Iran. The aim of the research is to explore the prevalence and determinants of PTSD among survivors 3 years after the earthquake. A multi-stage cluster random sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 600 respondents between the ages of 18- and 87-years-old in affected areas. In the present sample, 224 individuals (37.3%) reported some PTSD symptoms. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of developing PTSD included being in a severely-stricken (as opposed to moderately-stricken) village and being female. However, there were no significant associations between PTSD and age groups, marital status, profession, and educational status. These results underscore the need for improved psychosocial interventions following disasters.

References

Aug 1, 1993·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·A Goenjian
May 28, 2003·Depression and Anxiety·Maria Gavranidou, Rita Rosner
Aug 27, 2005·Comprehensive Psychiatry·Abdurrahman AltindagAytekin Sir
Mar 15, 2006·European Psychiatry : the Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists·Ioanna GiannopoulouWilliam Yule
Jan 9, 2008·Molecular Psychiatry·R C KesslerS Wessely
Sep 18, 2009·Journal of Traumatic Stress·Chih-Hsun WuYin-Chang Wu
Aug 21, 2013·The Psychiatric Clinics of North America·Ali FarhoudianCraig L Katz
Apr 22, 2014·Psychiatry Research·Richard LeBeauMichelle Craske
Apr 29, 2016·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Sander GreenlandDouglas G Altman
Jan 3, 2018·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Bihan TangLulu Zhang

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jun 4, 2020·Community Mental Health Journal·Bahar KhosraviJavad Yoosefi Lebni
Oct 16, 2019·Frontiers in Neuroscience·Francesca PistoiaAlessandra Splendiani

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anxiety Disorders

Discover the latest research on anxiety disorders including agoraphobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder here.