title: Psychosomatic conditions of the children and adolescents exposed to 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A devastating earthquake registering 8.0 on the Richter Scale struck Wenchuan County in Northwest Sichuan Province in China on May 12, 2008, claiming over 69,200 lives, seriously wounding more than 374,600 people, and rendering more than 18,400 people missing. The epicenter was close to Yingxiu Township in Wenchuan County.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the psychosomatic conditions of the children and adolescents exposed to the devastating earthquake and explore the risk factors for psychosomatic symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,828 participants aged 6 to 16 years, of whom 842 from the affected area and 986 from non-affected area, were administered a Psychosomatic Conditions Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each factor score, total somatic score, total psychological score, and total psychosomatic score of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.001). Positive correlation was found between the psychological state and somatic symptoms in the experimental group(r = 0.157 ~ 0.489, P < 0.01). Respiratory system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, digestive system, urogenital system, emotion, behavior, and language, combined as a panel, were significantly differentiated between the two groups, accounting for 73.4% of the total difference. In the experimental group, the factor scores of anxiety, behavior, total psychological score, and total psychosomatic score of the girls were obviously higher than those of the boys (P < 0.01 ~ 0.05); most somatic factors and psychological factors, total somatic score, total psychological score, and total psychosomatic score of the elder adolescents were significantly higher than those of the younger children (P < 0.01 ~ 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The children and adolescents exposed to 5.12 earthquake greatly suffered from terrible psychosomatic conditions, among whom the elder girls had more severe symptoms, particularly in terms of anxiety and behavior.
authors: Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xin-yang
authors: XY
authors: Sun
authors: Hui-min
authors: HM
authors: Fan
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Bai
authors: Hong-tao
authors: HT
authors: Song
authors: Feng-yan
authors: FY
authors: Tao
authors: Zi-xiang
authors: ZX
authors: Song
authors: Guang-ya
authors: GY
authors: Zhang
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Shi
authors: Li-yi
authors: LY
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors