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Does a non-destructive earthquake cause posttraumatic stress disorder? A cross-sectional study

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Abstract

This study evaluated the prevalence and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adolescents who experienced non-destructive, moderate magnitude earthquake. Four hundred and fifty students (214 girls and 236 boys between the ages of 12–14) were selected from secondary schools located within Konya province in Turkey, 6 months after the earthquake. They were chosen to participate in this cross-sectional study by simple random sampling. The students were evaluated by the child posttraumatic stress reaction index. Of all the students, we found that 3.5 % had very severe, 20.8 % had severe, 28.4 % had moderate and 20 % had mild symptoms of PTSD and that 24.3 % had probable PTSD diagnoses. The most common PTSD symptoms were trauma-related fears, social avoidance, emotional detachment and the concentration difficulty. Limitations and implications for research studies are included in the discussion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey

    Cem Gökçen

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Meram Medical Faculty of Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey

    Mine Şahingöz

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Selcuklu Medical Faculty of Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey

    Bilge Burçak Annagür

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  1. Cem Gökçen
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  2. Mine Şahingöz
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  3. Bilge Burçak Annagür
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Correspondence to Cem Gökçen.

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Gökçen, C., Şahingöz, M. & Annagür, B.B. Does a non-destructive earthquake cause posttraumatic stress disorder? A cross-sectional study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 22, 295–299 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-012-0348-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-012-0348-8

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