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Risk factors of mental illness among adult survivors after the Wenchuan earthquake

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was to analyze the mental health status of the adults from the areas struck by the Wenchuan earthquake, to understand the factors that may have impact on their mental health after they were exposed to the earthquake, to obtain information specifically relevant to further research and future preventive measures.

Methods

We used multistage stratified random sampling methods in three areas that were severely damaged in the Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan Province, China. For this study, 14,798 individuals were identified with simple random selection methods at the sampling sites, 14,207 were screened with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and 3,692 individuals were administered a Chinese version of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-IV axis I disorders by 180 investigators.

Results

The risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder included old age, female gender, low school education and witness someone die in the earthquake (P < 0.05, 95 % CI). The risk factors for anxiety disorder included old age, female gender, low school education, living alone and witness someone die in the earthquake (P < 0.05, 95 % CI). The risk factors for depression included old age, female gender, low school education and living alone (P < 0.05, 95 % CI).

Conclusions

Given inadequate knowledge and practices concerning the mental health of disaster victims in China, the information provided by this study is useful for directing, strengthening, and evaluating disaster-related mental health needs and interventions after the earthquake.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the 863 National Issue (No. 2008AA022605).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

The study has been approved by the appropriate ethics committee and have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. It should also be stated clearly in the text that all persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Xiaobo Zhou, Lin Kang, Xueli Sun, Hui Song & Jing Li

  2. The Fourth People’s Hospital of Chengdu City, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Wenjun Mao

  3. The Third People’s Hospital of Mianyang City, Mianyang, 621000, China

    Xuanyin Huang

  4. Mental Health Center of Guangyuan City, Guangyuan, 628000, China

    Yinghui Zhang

Authors
  1. Xiaobo Zhou
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  2. Lin Kang
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  3. Xueli Sun
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  4. Hui Song
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  5. Wenjun Mao
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  6. Xuanyin Huang
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  7. Yinghui Zhang
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  8. Jing Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jing Li.

Additional information

L. Kang and X. Sun contributed equally to this work.

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Zhou, X., Kang, L., Sun, X. et al. Risk factors of mental illness among adult survivors after the Wenchuan earthquake. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 907–915 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0596-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0596-4

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