Three-year follow-up study of the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and quality of life among earthquake survivors in Yu-Chi, Taiwan

• Published in: Journal of psychiatric research Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 90 - 96
• Main Authors: Tsai, Kuan-Yi, Chou, Pesus, Chou, Frank Huang-Chih, Su, Tom Tung-Ping, Lin, Shih-Chi, Lu, Ming-Kun, Ou-Yang, Wen-Chen, Su, Chao-Yueh, Chao, Shih-Shih, Huang, Ming-Wei, Wu, Huang-Chi, Sun, Wen-Jung, Su, Shu-Fang, Chen, Ming-Chao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Catchment Area (Health); Disaster-related psychological screening test (DRPST); Disasters - statistics & numerical data; Earthquakes; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Followup studies; Humans; Male; Mass Screening; Medical outcomes study short form-36 (MOS SF-36); Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS); Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of life; Quality of life (QOL); Quality of Life - psychology; Severity of Illness Index; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survivors; Survivors - psychology; Survivors - statistics & numerical data; Taiwan - epidemiology; Taiwanese people; Asia; Taiwan; Quality of life (QOL); Medical outcomes study short form-36 (MOS SF-36); Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS); Disaster-related psychological screening test (DRPST); Posttraumatic syndrome; Anxiety disorder; Disaster; Medical screening; Stress; Quality of life; Symptomatology; Follow up study; Earthquakes
• ISSN: 0022-3956; 1879-1379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2005.10.004

Abstract Objective : To prospectively evaluate the relationship between the clinical course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and quality of life (QOL) among Taiwan earthquake survivors for 3 years. Methods : A population survey was done in a Taiwan township near the epicenter of a severe earthquake (7.3 on the Richter scale). Trained assistants used the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) and the Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test to interview earthquake survivors 16 and older. A total of 1756 respondents were surveyed during the 3-year follow-up period. Results : At 0.5 and 3 years after the earthquake, the estimated rate of PTSS (cutoff point, 3/4) was 23.8% and 4.4%, respectively. The survivors with PTSS scored lower for each concept of the MOS SF-36 at these two intervals. Three years after the earthquake, the survivors in the persistently healthy group showed the highest scores in all subscales and domains of the MOS SF-36; second-highest was the recovering group; third-highest was the delayed PTSS group; and the persistent PTSS group showed the lowest scores in all concepts and domains. Notably, survivors with delayed onset PTSS exhibited a lower QOL when PTSS occurred. Conclusions : Three years after the earthquake, the estimated rate of PTSS had declined, and the QOL of the survivors varied according to how their PTSS had progressed.