title: Prevalence and risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder among adult survivors six months after the Wenchuan earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exposure to earthquake has been associated with psychological distress, in particular, the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of PTSD, explore the associated risk factors among adult survivors 6 months after the Wenchuan earthquake in China, and compare the findings in our study to other studies about the Wenchuan earthquake and other earthquakes that occurred in the past.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multistage stratified random sampling methods were conducted in three severely affected areas in the Wenchuan earthquake. In this study, 14,798 individuals were identified with simple random selection methods at the sampling sites, 14,207 individuals were screened with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire(GHQ-12), and 3692 individuals were administered a Chinese version of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-IV axis I disorders (SCID-I/P) by 180 psychiatrists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of PTSD was 15.57%. The risk factors for PTSD included old age, female gender, living alone, buried in the earthquake, injured in the earthquake, operated on after the earthquake, witnessing someone get injured in the earthquake, witnessing someone get buried in the earthquake, witnessing someone die in the earthquake (P<0.05, 95% CI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTSD is common after a major disaster. Risk factors help people to identify the potential victims after disasters in time. Post-disaster mental health recovery interventions include early identification, sustained psychosocial support, governmental programs that provide social and economic support.
authors: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors: Xiaobo
authors: X
authors: Zhou
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Kang
authors: Xueli
authors: X
authors: Sun
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Song
authors: Wenjun
authors: W
authors: Mao
authors: Xuanyin
authors: X
authors: Huang
authors: Yinghui
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*