[PTSD as result of the 1997 flood--occurrence and display of distemper].
OBJECTIVE
The occurrence and course of PTSD in the countryside environment as the result of flood in 1997 has been described. The research was experimented around four villages by Nysa Kłodzka river-basin; the area was affected by disaster unexpectedly and extremely hard.


METHODS
97 people have been tested as the straightforward witnesses of flood. They had never been treated by a psychiatrist before 1997 and they haven't experienced any other stressful event that might have been an independent reason of the occurrence PTSD. The extent of trauma, risk of shock and the length of time that those examined were in danger was identical. None of the studied had received psychological or psychiatric support after the disaster. The research was carried out by one investigator (psychiatrist) 60-63 months after the flood at the victims' houses (the psychiatrist's visit was preceded by the phone appointment). The research instrument--Composite International Diagnostic Interview CIDI: section A (referred to demographic dates) and section N (referred to PTSD).


RESULTS
PTSD diagnosis was made in 30.9% of the examined group. The distempered people are mostly educated at the lowest level (49.9% with the ground education) or unemployed (39.2%). Older people were more susceptible to PTSD. PTSD diagnosis was made more often for men (39.5%) than for women (25.4), what is directly related to the lower education and a worse material status of the examined men. Full symptomatic PTSD, remaining up to 60-63 months after the flood, was confirmed in 15.5% of the studied group.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency and profile of PTSD occurrence (lower educated, older and the poor people) in the examined group is consistent with the other studies done. The fact that PTSD diagnosis was more frequent amongst men (39.5% vs. 25.4% in women) has been mentioned and explained above. No person in the group has confirmed the short (lasting only up to one month) term of persistence of the symptoms what is tantamount to no acute stress disorder right after the flood. It might be probably caused by the permanence of flood destruction and the prolonged exposure to the stress factor.
Stepien
Agnieszka
A
Z Katedry i Kliniki Psychiatrii AM we Wrocławiu.
Kantorska-Janiec
Monika
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors