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Psychological Distress among Adolescents in Chengdu, Sichuan at 1 Month after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake

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Abstract

A devastating earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008 in Sichuan, China. This study investigated the prevalence and factors in association with psychological problems among secondary school students living in Chengdu (90 km away from the disaster epicenter) in June 2008. In a cross-sectional survey, 3,324 secondary students self-administered a structured questionnaire in classroom setting. Validated scales were used in this study. Among all respondents, 22.3% reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); 22.6% were probable depression cases; 10.6% reported suicidal ideation; and 14.1% would like to receive psychological counseling. No gender differences were found. While social/emotional support from teachers or peers (OR from 0.40 to 0.78) and exposure to positive news reports (OR from 0.59 to 0.62) were found protective, prior experience of severe mental distress (OR from 1.60 to 2.68) and corporal punishment (OR from 1.31 to 1.58), worry about future aftershocks (OR from 1.64 to 3.11), absence from school when it was not closed (OR from 1.38 to 1.48), exposures to scary or sorrowful disaster media coverage (OR from 1.39 to 2.07), post-disaster visits to affected sites (OR from 1.51 to 1.59), separation from parents (OR = 1.61), etc., were risk factors predictive of some of the aforementioned psychological problems. Negative mental health impacts were prevalent among the respondents. Teachers, parents, and the mass media are all important in maintaining good mental health among adolescents that are indirectly affected by the severe earthquake. The results have important implications for earthquake preparedness and relief work in the future.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank the Multi-Health Systems in providing the Chinese version of Children’s Depression Inventory. The authors would also like to thank Mr. Liao Qiang (Hua Xi College of Public Health, Sichuan University) and Mr. Nelson Yeung (Centre for Health Behaviours Research, School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong) for their assistance in this study.

Competing interests

None declared.

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None declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Health Behaviours Research, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Joseph T. F. Lau PhD, Xiaonan Yu & Kai Chow Choi

  2. Hua Xi College of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

    Jianxin Zhang

  3. Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Winnie W. S. Mak

  4. Oasis-Center for Personal Growth and Crisis Intervention, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Wacy W. S. Lui

  5. Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jianxin Zhang

  6. Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Emily Y. Y. Chan

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  1. Joseph T. F. Lau PhD
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  2. Xiaonan Yu
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Correspondence to Joseph T. F. Lau PhD.

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Lau, J.T.F., Yu, X., Zhang, J. et al. Psychological Distress among Adolescents in Chengdu, Sichuan at 1 Month after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. J Urban Health 87, 504–523 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-010-9447-3

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