title: The role of peri-traumatic stress and disruption distress in predicting post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following exposure to a natural disaster.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have examined the contribution of specific disaster-related experiences to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the roles of peri-traumatic stress and distress due to lingering disaster-related disruption in explaining linkages between disaster exposure and PTSD symptoms among a cohort exposed to the 2010-2011 Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structural equation models were fitted to data obtained from the Christchurch Health and Development Study at age 35 (n=495), 20-24 months following the onset of the disaster. Measures included: earthquake exposure, peri-traumatic stress, disruption distress and PTSD symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The associations between earthquake exposure and PTSD symptoms were explained largely by the experience of peri-traumatic stress during the earthquakes (β=0.189,P<0.0001) and disruption distress following the earthquakes (β=0.105,P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest the importance of minimising post-event disruption distress following exposure to a natural disaster.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None.
  © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boden
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Fergusson
authors.affiliation: , MSc, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: L John
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Horwood
authors.affiliation: , MB, ChB, PhD, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Roger T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mulder