Objective: This community study assessed the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the psychosocial consequences of the landslide which occurred in Sarno, Southern Italy, in May 1998. Method: A random sample (n=272) of the population living in the highest risk area of Sarno, and a control group recruited in a small town situated near the disaster area, but not affected by the event, were assessed 1 year after the disaster by standardized instruments. Results: Of the subjects recruited in Sarno, 27.6% met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD; 59% subjects recruited in Sarno and 35% of the control group were identified as 'probable cases' by the GHQ-30 (P < 0.0001). Subjects recruited in Sarno had significantly higher scores on the four GHQ-30 subscales identified by factor analysis. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the negative impact of a natural catastrophic event on mental health, and the need for preventive interventions.
Psychological consequences of the 1998 landslide in Sarno, Italy: A community study / F. Catapano, R. Malafronte, F. Lepre, P. Cozzolino, R. Arnone, E. Lorenzo, G. Tartaglia, F. Starace, L. Magliano, M. Maj. - In: ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA. - ISSN 0001-690X. - 104:6(2001), pp. 438-442. [10.1034/j.1600-0447.2001.00512.x]
Psychological consequences of the 1998 landslide in Sarno, Italy: A community study
G. Tartaglia;
2001
Abstract
Objective: This community study assessed the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the psychosocial consequences of the landslide which occurred in Sarno, Southern Italy, in May 1998. Method: A random sample (n=272) of the population living in the highest risk area of Sarno, and a control group recruited in a small town situated near the disaster area, but not affected by the event, were assessed 1 year after the disaster by standardized instruments. Results: Of the subjects recruited in Sarno, 27.6% met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD; 59% subjects recruited in Sarno and 35% of the control group were identified as 'probable cases' by the GHQ-30 (P < 0.0001). Subjects recruited in Sarno had significantly higher scores on the four GHQ-30 subscales identified by factor analysis. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the negative impact of a natural catastrophic event on mental health, and the need for preventive interventions.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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