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Posttraumatic Growth in Tibetan Adolescent Survivors 6 Years After the 2010 Yushu Earthquake: Depression and PTSD as Predictors

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Abstract

This cross-sectional study explored the prevalence of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Tibetan adolescent survivors (98% Tibetan and 2% Han) 6 years after the 2010 Yushu earthquake to identify the PTG predictors. In 2016, 850 high school students (from 11 to 20 years) in Yushu (N = 850) completed the self-rating depression scale, the PTSD Check List-Civilian version, the exposure degree scale, and the posttraumatic growth inventory. It was found that the PTG and probable PTSD prevalence rates were 49.7% and 8.9% 6 years after the earthquake, and that exposure level, depression level, and PTSD symptoms were all significant negative predictors for PTG in both the junior high school and senior high school students. Specifically, having a lower degree of exposure, a lower PTSD level, and no depression symptoms were associated with higher PTG. There was a significant PTG difference found between males and females; however, this gender difference was not found in the senior high school students. No significant PTG differences were found for the different ethnicities. The implications of the results and the limitations of this study are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthodontics, Shanghai Xuhui District Dental Disease Prevention and Control Institute, Shanghai, 200001, China

    Yufei Xie

  2. Department of Oral and Cranio-maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center of Stomatology, Shanghai, 200011, China

    Jinyang Wu

  3. Department of Orthodontics, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center of Stomatology, Shanghai, 200011, China

    Gang Shen

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  1. Yufei Xie
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  3. Gang Shen
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Correspondence to Gang Shen.

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Xie, Y., Wu, J. & Shen, G. Posttraumatic Growth in Tibetan Adolescent Survivors 6 Years After the 2010 Yushu Earthquake: Depression and PTSD as Predictors. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 51, 94–103 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-019-00913-5

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