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Pre-typhoon socioeconomic status factors predict post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms in a Vietnamese sample

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Abstract

Purpose

Exposure to natural disasters has been associated with increased risk for various forms of psychopathology. Evidence indicates that socioeconomic status (SES) may be important for understanding post-disaster psychiatric distress; however, studies of SES-relevant factors in non-Western, disaster-exposed samples are lacking. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the role of pre-typhoon SES-relevant factors in relation to post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms among Vietnamese individuals exposed to Typhoon Xangsane.

Methods

In 2006, Typhoon Xangsane disrupted a mental health needs assessment in Vietnam in which the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), and the Demographic and Health Surveys Wealth Index, a measure of SES created for use in low-income countries, were administered pre-typhoon. The SRQ-20 was re-administered post-typhoon.

Results

Results of a linear mixed model indicated that the covariates of older age, female sex, and higher levels of pre-typhoon psychiatric symptoms were associated with higher levels of post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms. Analysis of SES indicators revealed that owning fewer consumer goods, having lower quality of household services, and having attained less education were associated with higher levels of post-typhoon symptoms, above and beyond the covariates, whereas quality of the household build, employment status, and insurance status were not related to post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms.

Conclusion

Even after controlling for demographic characteristics and pre-typhoon psychiatric symptoms, certain SES factors uniquely predicted post-typhoon psychiatric distress. These SES characteristics may be useful for identifying individuals in developing countries who are in need of early intervention following disaster exposure.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from Atlantic Philanthropies to the Community Health Centers of Da Nang and Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, with personnel and technical support from the Veterans for America Foundation. Special thanks to Anne Seymour for her assistance in coordinating international efforts of the research team.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report at this time.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Biotech 1, Suite 101, Richmond, VA, 23219-1534, USA

    Ruth C. Brown, Erin C. Berenz, Tim Bernard Bigdeli & Ananda B. Amstadter

  2. Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Stephen K. Trapp

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Ron Acierno

  4. Health Department of Da Nang City, Da Nang City, Vietnam

    Trinh Luong Tran

  5. Da Nang Mental Health Hospital, Da Nang City, Vietnam

    Lam Tu Trung

  6. Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, Washington, DC, USA

    Nguyen Thanh Tam

  7. Research and Training Center for Community Development, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Tran Tuan, La Thi Buoi, Tran Thu Ha & Tran Duc Thach

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  1. Ruth C. Brown
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  2. Stephen K. Trapp
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  9. Tran Tuan
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  13. Ananda B. Amstadter
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Correspondence to Ananda B. Amstadter.

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Brown, R.C., Trapp, S.K., Berenz, E.C. et al. Pre-typhoon socioeconomic status factors predict post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms in a Vietnamese sample. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 1721–1727 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0684-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0684-0

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