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Psychosomatic Conditions of the Children and Adolescents Exposed to 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake

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Abstract

Background

A devastating earthquake registering 8.0 on the Richter Scale struck Wenchuan County in Northwest Sichuan Province in China on May 12, 2008, claiming over 69,200 lives, seriously wounding more than 374,600 people, and rendering more than 18,400 people missing. The epicenter was close to Yingxiu Township in Wenchuan County.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the psychosomatic conditions of the children and adolescents exposed to the devastating earthquake and explore the risk factors for psychosomatic symptoms.

Method

A total of 1,828 participants aged 6 to 16 years, of whom 842 from the affected area and 986 from non-affected area, were administered a Psychosomatic Conditions Scale.

Results

Each factor score, total somatic score, total psychological score, and total psychosomatic score of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.001). Positive correlation was found between the psychological state and somatic symptoms in the experimental group(r = 0.157 ~ 0.489, P < 0.01). Respiratory system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, digestive system, urogenital system, emotion, behavior, and language, combined as a panel, were significantly differentiated between the two groups, accounting for 73.4 % of the total difference. In the experimental group, the factor scores of anxiety, behavior, total psychological score, and total psychosomatic score of the girls were obviously higher than those of the boys (P < 0.01 ~ 0.05); most somatic factors and psychological factors, total somatic score, total psychological score, and total psychosomatic score of the elder adolescents were significantly higher than those of the younger children (P < 0.01 ~ 0.05).

Conclusion

The children and adolescents exposed to 5.12 earthquake greatly suffered from terrible psychosomatic conditions, among whom the elder girls had more severe symptoms, particularly in terms of anxiety and behavior.

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Acknowledgments

We would sincerely thank the children, adolescents, the healthy volunteers and their families involved in this study, and all the medical staff involved in the procedure.

Funding

This study was financially supported by the State Scientific and Technological Ministry Key Project (grant no. 2009BA177B01).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People’s Republic of China

    Xin-yang Sun & Hui-min Fan

  2. Jining Medical School, Jining, Shandong, 272067, People’s Republic of China

    Bo Bai

  3. Medical School of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212002, People’s Republic of China

    Hong-tao Song

  4. Nantong Tichen Nursing School, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226007, People’s Republic of China

    Feng-yan Tao

  5. Department of Children Psychiatry, No.102 Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213003, People’s Republic of China

    Zi-xiang Song

  6. Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215008, People’s Republic of China

    Guang-ya Zhang

  7. Department of Psychology, General Hospital of the Second Artillery of People’s Liberation Army, Beijing, 100088, People’s Republic of China

    Jie Shi

  8. People’s Liberation Army Prevention and Treatment Center of Psychological Diseases, No.102 Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, 55 North Peace Road, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213003, People’s Republic of China

    Li-yi Zhang

Authors
  1. Xin-yang Sun
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  2. Hui-min Fan
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  3. Bo Bai
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  4. Hong-tao Song
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  5. Feng-yan Tao
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  6. Zi-xiang Song
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  7. Guang-ya Zhang
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  8. Jie Shi
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  9. Li-yi Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Li-yi Zhang.

Additional information

Xin-yang Sun, Hui-min Fan, and Bo Bai have contributed equally to this paper and agreed to share the first authorship position together.

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Sun, Xy., Fan, Hm., Bai, B. et al. Psychosomatic Conditions of the Children and Adolescents Exposed to 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake. Int.J. Behav. Med. 21, 730–735 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-013-9377-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-013-9377-z

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