title: The effect of traumatic bereavement on tsunami-exposed survivors.
abstract: Fourteen months after the 2004 tsunami, mental health outcome was assessed in 187 bereaved relatives, 308 bereaved friends, and in 3,020 nonbereaved Swedish survivors. Of the bereaved relatives, 41% reported posttraumatic stress reactions and 62% reported impaired general mental health. Having been caught or chased by the tsunami in combination with bereavement was associated with increased posttraumatic stress reactions. Complicated grief reactions among relatives were almost as frequent as posttraumatic stress reactions. The highest levels of psychological distress were found among those who had lost children. Traumatic bereavement, in combination with exposure to life danger, is probably a risk factor for mental health sequelae after a natural disaster.
authors: National Center for Disaster Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. kerstin.bergh.johannesson@neuro.uu.se
authors: Kerstin Bergh
authors: KB
authors: Johannesson
authors: Tom
authors: T
authors: Lundin
authors: Christina M
authors: CM
authors: Hultman
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Lindam
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Dyster-Aas
authors: Filip
authors: F
authors: Arnberg
authors: Per-Olof
authors: PO
authors: Michel
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013548:Sweden / Q000208:ethnology; D013785:Thailand; D014195:Travel; D057192:Tsunamis; D055815:Young Adult