title: The psychological impact of a catastrophic earthquake: a retrospective study 50 years after the event.
abstract: Aim of the present study was to retrospectively assess the impact of a catastrophic earthquake in a sample of 121 survivors, 50 years after the event. Mean age +/- SD of the responders was 72.2 +/- 6.1 years. The majority of the victims (78%) acknowledged a strong overall impact of the earthquake on their lives, and almost all of them had intense recollection of the event at its anniversary. The most frequent symptom during the 6 months after the earthquake was persistent remembering or "reliving" of the event; women had considerably more often recurrent dreams of the earthquake and distress than did men. Women and young adults at the time of the earthquake appear to be the most vulnerable groups regarding the psychological effects of the event.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lazaratou
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paparrigopoulos
authors.forename: Gerassimos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galanos
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Psarros
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dikeos
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soldatos
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004190:Disasters; D004325:Dreams; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology