title: Psychological distress among evacuees of a volcanic eruption in Japan: A follow-up study.
abstract: Psychological distress in 248 evacuees from a volcanic eruption was evaluated using a 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) at four time points after evacuation: 6 months, 12 months, 24 months and 44 months. The proportion of evacuees with psychological distress (defined as a GHQ score >/= 8) significantly decreased from 66.1% (6 months) to 45.6% (44 months). The GHQ mean score significantly improved from 12.6 to 8.9. Investigation of each factor on the GHQ showed progressive improvement over time in 'anxiety, tension and insomnia' and 'anergia and social dysfunction'. However, 'depression' began to improve only after 44 months and 'interpersonal dysfunction' started to worsen after 12 months. The dysfunction in interpersonal relationships continued at 44 months. Examination of the relation between GHQ mean scores and age group showed that recovery from psychological distress was more difficult in middle-aged and older evacuees than in younger evacuees.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Nagasaki University, Shinjyuen Ryoyosho, Nagasaki, Japan. y-ota@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Yoshibumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakane
authors.forename: Sumihisa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018635:Rescue Work; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions