Prevalence and psychosocial risk factors of PTSD: 18 months after Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan.
BACKGROUND
On average in a year 939 earthquakes of a magnitude between 5 and 8 on the Richter scale occur around the world. In earthquakes developing countries are prone to large-scale destruction because of poor structural quality of buildings, and preparedness for earthquakes. On 8th October 2005, a major earthquake hit the remote and mountainous region of northern Pakistan and Kashmir. We wanted to find out the rate of PTSD in a randomly selected sample of participants living in earthquake area and the correlates of the PTSD.


METHODS
The study was conducted 18 months after the earthquake. We selected a sample of men and women living in the houses and tents for interviews. Using well established instruments for PTSD and general psychiatric morbidity we gathered information from over 1200 people in face to face interviews. We gathered information about trauma exposure and loss as well.


RESULTS
55.2% women and 33.4% men suffered from PTSD. Living in a joint family was protective against the symptoms of PTSD. Dose of exposure to trauma was associated with the symptoms of PTSD. Living in a tent was associated with general psychiatric morbidity but not with PTSD.


CONCLUSIONS
We used questionnaire instead of interviews to detect the symptoms of psychiatric disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
The symptoms of PTSD are common 18 months after the earthquake and they are specifically associated with the dose of trauma exposure. This may have implications for rehabilitation of this population.
Lahore Institute of Research and Development, Lahore, Pakistan.
Farooq
F
Naeem
Muhammad
M
Ayub
Khadija
K
Masood
Huma
H
Gul
Mahwish
M
Khalid
Ammara
A
Farrukh
Aisha
A
Shaheen
Waquas
W
Waheed
Haroon Rasheed
HR
Chaudhry
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult