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A Community Survey of Quality of Life and Psychiatric Disorders among Residents Following the Kaohsiung Gas Explosion: a 5-Year Cross-Sectional Follow-Up Study

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Abstract

To investigate factors associated with quality of life (QoL) and disaster-related psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE), in the survivors of a gas explosion in Taiwan 5 years after the event. A community-based cross-sectional study of residents from an area that experienced a gas explosion was conducted 5 years after the event. The Short Form 12v2 (SF-12v2) was used to screen 2511 participants. The Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test (DRPST) was used to assess probable MDE and PTSD. A total of 2511 participants, including 604 males and 1907 females, completed the QoL survey. The average age was 56.02 ± 16.78 years, and most participants were in the ≧65 age group (39.7%). The males had better QoL in the physical dimensions. Lifestyle was significantly positively associated with QoL. A total of 894 participants completed the DRPST, which showed some individuals with probable MDE (n = 93, 10.4%), probable PTSD (n = 22, 2.5%), or probable MDE and PTSD (n = 49, 5.5%); most people had no MDE or PTSD (n = 730, 81.7%). Those in the probable PTSD or MDE groups were significantly more likely to be female or to be experiencing stressors (p < 0.001). The participants continued to be affected by the disaster based on their QoL, even 5 years later. Females had a higher risk of probable psychiatric disorders and poorer QoL in the physical dimensions. Long-term follow-up, interventions and investigations after a disaster are needed.

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Abbreviations

BP:

Bodily pain

DRPST:

Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test

DSM-IV:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV

GH:

General health

HRQoL:

Health-related quality of life

MCS:

Mental component summary

MDE:

Major depressive episode

MH:

Mental health

PCS:

Physical component summary

PF:

Physical functioning

PTSD:

Posttraumatic stress disorder

QoL:

Quality of life

RE:

Role limitations caused by emotional problems

RP:

Role limitations caused by physical problems

SF:

Social functioning

SF-12v2:

Short form 12v2

VT:

Vitality

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the staff at the Bureau of Health, Kaohsiung City Government and Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital for their assistance.

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the Bureau of Health, Kaohsiung City government, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of China (MOST-108-2625-M-280-001).

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital (KSPH-2015-05-R2), and all participants provided informed consent.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Huei-Wen Angela Lo and Joh-Jong Huang equal contribution as the corresponding author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, 130 Kai-Syuan 2nd Rd, Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Han-Yun Chang, Wei-Tse Hsu & Frank Huang-Chin Chou

  2. Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Pay-Jen Wu & Guijing Lin

  3. Department of Occupational Therapy, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Chun-Hua Cheng

  4. Occupational Therapy, Shu-Zen Junior College of Medicine and Management, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Chun-Hua Cheng

  5. Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Huei-Wen Angela Lo

  6. Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Joh-Jong Huang

  7. Department of Business Management, NSYSU, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Che-hun Liao

  8. Department of Health, Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Che-hun Liao

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  1. Han-Yun Chang
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Correspondence to Frank Huang-Chin Chou.

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Chang, HY., Hsu, WT., Wu, PJ. et al. A Community Survey of Quality of Life and Psychiatric Disorders among Residents Following the Kaohsiung Gas Explosion: a 5-Year Cross-Sectional Follow-Up Study. Psychiatr Q 92, 1–12 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-021-09911-0

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