Posttraumatic stress disorder six months after an earthquake: findings from a community sample in a rural region in Italy.
OBJECTIVE
Various studies assessed rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following natural disasters including earthquakes. Yet, samples were often non-representative or small or both. This study aims to assess the prevalence of PTSD and predictors of PTSD 6 months after an earthquake in a rural region of Italy.


METHODS
A questionnaire was handed out to a representative sample of approximate 3,000 people in the region of Molise in Italy 6 months after an earthquake in October/November 2002. The questionnaire assessed socio-demographic characteristics, aspects of the event, the experience of symptoms immediately after the earthquake, and symptoms of PTSD.


RESULTS
Questionnaires of 2,148 people were returned, representing a response rate of 73.7%. The final analysis was based on 1,680 people. The screening tool provided a PTSD prevalence rate of 14.5%. Male gender, age under 55 years, and better school education predicted lower rates of PTSD. More variance was explained when psychological symptoms of immediately after the event were also included as predictors.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings on predictors are consistent with the literature. Whilst personal characteristics explain only a small variance of PTSD six months after the event, early psychological distress allows a better prediction of who is likely to have PTSD 6 months later.
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London E13 8SP, UK. s.priebe@qmul.ac.uk.
Stefan
S
Priebe
Iolanda
I
Grappasonni
Massimo
M
Mari
Michael
M
Dewey
Fabio
F
Petrelli
Ana
A
Costa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult