title: Post-traumatic stress disorder after typhoon disaster and its correlation with platelet 5-HT concentrations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate residents' psychological stress factors and research the correlation between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and platelet 5-HT concentrations so as to provide scientific bases for diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and psychological intervention for people in the disaster area.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey of 5500 residents who have accepted psychological help was conducted by the emphatic investigation method. While high performance liquid chromatography was used to detect the platelet serotonin concentration of 100 PTSD patients and 100 healthy people.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Of the 5114 cases, 3167 (61.93%) showed positive results in screening for psychological stress symptoms, and 399 (7.8%) were tested having apparent PTSD symptoms. Male and female prevalence showed no significant difference (χ(2) = -0.380, P = 0.704). The differences of prevalence between different age groups were statistically significant (χ(2) = 381.89, P = 0.000). (2) The differences in the level of platelet 5-HT between PTSD patients and normal control group were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The typhoon of Hainan Province caused relatively large psychological problems to the disaster victims. Compared with normal control group, the platelet 5-HT levels of PTSD patients in the disaster areas are lower. It may be related to incidents exposure levels, cultural background, religious ideas, social concerns and psychological rescue of the residents who live in the disaster areas of Hainan.
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China; Affiliated Hainan Hospital, University of South China, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: The Second Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Liang
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China. Electronic address: g2002m@163.com.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Meng-Yong-Wei
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Suo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Lin-Mei
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570311, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: You
keywords: 5-HT; Influential factors; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Typhoon