Prevalence of multiple anxiety disorder and associated factors among adolescents three years after Ya’an Earthqhake / 中国学校卫生

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To examine the prevalence of multiple anxiety disorder of adolescents in Lushan, Sichuan and to provide the scientific reference for a long-term psychological intervention and rehabilitation for adolescents after earthquake.@*Methods@#In May 2016, 3 741 students were sampled in two middle schools and two high schools in Lushan county. Self-report questionnaice regarding exposure to earthquake, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and negative life events questionnaire (ASLES) were administered to the subjects.@*Results@#The prevalence of anxiety symptoms of adolescents in Lushan, Sichuan was 42.3%, among which panic disorder was 36.3%; generalized anxiety was 29.5%, separation anxiety was 40.3%, social anxiety was 26.1%, school fear was 32.4%. Junior school students resported more symptoms of separation anxiety than high school students (χ2=33.09, P<0.01). The results of Logistic regression showed that girls (OR=2.34, 95%CI=2.00-2.74, P<0.01), high negative life events (OR=2.87, 95%CI=2.60-3.17, P<0.01), trapped in earthqnakes (OR=1.77, 95%CI=1.18-2.67, P<0.01), parents injured (OR=1.22, 95%CI=1.03-1.43, P=0.02), experienced extreme fear (OR=1.78, 95%CI=1.52-2.08, P<0.01) were associated with higher risk of anxiety disorder.@*Conclusion@#High prevalence of anxiety disorder among adolescent following disaster need to be alerted. Adolescents among female victim or those experienced extreme fear emotion or high frequencies of negative life events, need specific intervention.