title: Health-Related Quality of Life in the Aftermath of the L'Aquila Earthquake in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A recent article reported a reduction in the suicide rate in the inhabitants of L'Aquila (Italy) in 2009, when on the night of April 6, a devastating earthquake struck the city. The potential implications of the role of resilience in the aftermath of natural disasters, together with the limitations of existing evidence on this topic, suggest a need for more research. We aimed to retrospectively investigate the impact of the L'Aquila earthquake on a standardized self-reported measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
  
  
  METHODS
  HRQoL data were collected through 2 separate cross-sectional surveys conducted during 2008 and 2010, before and after the earthquake that occurred in 2009, on 2 random samples of adults living in L'Aquila.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data seemed to suggest no decrease in the inhabitants' HRQoL level after the disaster, which may suggest the role of resilience in supporting survivors' HRQoL. The findings were also consistent with previous observations of a reduction in the suicide rate in the same inhabitants after the earthquake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After a natural disaster, people likely activate personal resources and protective social factors that result in better subjective outcomes.
authors.affiliation: 1Italian National Institute of Health,Center of Epidemiology,Surveillance and Health Promotion,Rome,Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gigantesco
authors.affiliation: 1Italian National Institute of Health,Center of Epidemiology,Surveillance and Health Promotion,Rome,Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Argenio
authors.affiliation: 2Università de L'Aquila,Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health,L'Aquila,Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cofini
authors.affiliation: 3ASL Avezzano-Sulmona-L'Aquila,Department of Prevention and Public Health,L'Aquila,Italy.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.affiliation: 1Italian National Institute of Health,Center of Epidemiology,Surveillance and Health Promotion,Rome,Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Minardi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055866:Earthquakes / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: earthquakes; epidemiological monitoring; mental disorders; psychological; resilience