Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among middle school students after Wenchuan earthquake / 中国心理卫生杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)symptoms in middle school students after Wenchuan earthquake.Methods:The PTSD Checklist-Civilian version( PCL-C),which included three symptom groups(A,B,and C),was used to assess the PTSD symptoms in 1960 middle school students in the disaster region through self-questionnaire.Results:(1)The general positive rate of PTSD symptoms was 78.3%,and that of B group was the highest(68.9%).(2)The rates of general PTSD and three symptom groups of PTSD were higher in girls,high grade students,minority groups,rural students,injured in earthquake and those who lost family property than in boys,low grade students,the Han nationality,urban students,not injured in earthquake and those who did not lost family property[such as,the general positive rate of PTSD symptomsgirls 82.2%,boys 73.9%,P<0.05].(3)The rates of severe PTSD symptoms in girls and rural students were higher than that in boys and urban students(27.9% vs.19.9%,26.7% vs.21.4%,Ps<0.05).Conclusions:PTSD symptoms are common among middle school students in earthquake region.Targeted measures should be taken to protect middle school students from PTSD in earthquake region.