Psychological distress following urban earthquakes in California.
During and following a disaster caused by a natural event, human populations are thought to be at greater risk of psychological morbidity and mortality directly attributable to increased, disaster-induced stress. Drawing both on the research of others and that conducted at the Center for Public Health and Disaster Relief of the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) following California earthquakes, this paper examines the extent to which research evidence supports these assumptions. Following a brief history of disaster research in the United States, the response of persons at the time of an earthquake was examined with particular attention to psychological morbidity; the number of deaths that can be attributed to cardiovascular events and suicides; and the extent to which and by whom, health services are used following an earthquake. The implications of research findings for practitioners in the field are discussed.
Bourque
Linda B
LB
School of Public Health, Center for the Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California 90095-1772, USA. lbourque@ucla.edu
Siegel
Judith M
JM
Shoaf
Kimberley I
KI
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014504:Urban Health