Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 48, Issue 3 , Pages 269-275 , May 2007

Long-term psychological outcome of 1999 Taiwan earthquake survivors: a survey of a high-risk sample with property damage

  • Chin-Hung Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Tsao-Tun Psychiatric Center, Nantou, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Happy Kuy-Lok Tan

      Affiliations

    • Taoyuan Mental Hospital, Taoyuan County, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Long-Ren Liao

      Affiliations

    • Health Bureau, Nantou County Government, Nantou, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Hsiu-Hsi Chen

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Chang-Chuan Chan

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Joseph-Jror-Serk Cheng

      Affiliations

    • Bali Mental Hospital, Taipei County, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Chung-Ying Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Tsao-Tun Psychiatric Center, Nantou, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Tsu-Nai Wang

      Affiliations

    • School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
  • ,
  • Mong-Liang Lu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei 116, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +886 2 29307930; fax: +886 2 29334920.

References 

  1. Rubonis AV, Bickman L. Psychological impairment in the wake of disaster: the disaster-psychopathology relationship. Psychol Bull. 1991;109:384–399
  2. Maj M, Starace F, Crepet P, Lobrace S, Veltro F, De Marco F, et al. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among subjects exposed to a natural disaster. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1989;79:544–549
  3. Goenjian AK, Steinberg AM, Najarian LM, Fairbanks LA, Tashjian M, Pynoos RS. Prospective study of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive reactions after earthquake and political violence. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157:911–916
  4. Deering CG, Glover SG, Ready D, Eddleman HC, Alarcon RD. Unique patterns of comorbidity in posttraumatic stress disorder from different sources of trauma. Compr Psychiatry. 1996;37:336–346
  5. Bromet E, Dew MA. Review of psychiatric epidemiologic research on disasters. Epidemiol Rev. 1995;17:113–119
  6. Garrison CZ, Bryant ES, Addy CL, Spurrier PG, Freedy JR, Kilpatrick DG. Posttraumatic stress disorder in adolescents after Hurricane Andrew. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1995;34:1193–1201
  7. Goenjian A. A mental health relief programme in Armenia after the 1988 earthquake. Implementation and clinical observations. Br J Psychiatry. 1993;163:230–239
  8. Armenian HK, Morikawa M, Melkonian AK, Hovanesian A, Akiskal K, Akiskal HS. Risk factors for depression in the survivors of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. J Urban Health. 2002;79:373–382
  9. Finnsdottir T, Elklit A. Posttraumatic sequelae in a community hit by an avalanche. J Trauma Stress. 2002;15:479–485
  10. Chen CC, Yeh TL, Yang YK, Chen SJ, Lee IH, Fu LS, et al. Psychiatric morbidity and post-traumatic symptoms among survivors in the early stage following the 1999 earthquake in Taiwan. Psychiatry Res. 2001;105:13–22
  11. Perkonigg A, Kessler RC, Storz S, Wittchen HU. Traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder in the community: prevalence, risk factors and comorbidity. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2000;101:46–59
  12. Breslau N. The epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder: what is the extent of the problem?. J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62(Suppl 17):16–22
  13. Lewin TJ, Carr VJ, Webster RA. Recovery from post-earthquake psychological morbidity: who suffers and who recovers?. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 1998;32:15–20
  14. Kilic C, Ulusoy M. Psychological effects of the November 999 earthquake in Turkey: an epidemiological study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2003;108:232–238
  15. Ursano RJ, Kao TC, Fullerton CS. Posttraumatic stress disorder and meaning: structuring human chaos. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1992;180:756–759
  16. Bland SH, O'Leary ES, Farinaro E, Jossa F, Trevisan M. Long-term psychological effects of natural disasters. Psychosom Med. 1996;58:18–24
  17. Carr VJ, Lewin TJ, Webster RA, Kenardy JA, Hazell PL, Carter GL. Psychosocial sequelae of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake: II. Exposure and morbidity profiles during the first 2 years post-disaster. Psychol Med. 1997;27:167–178
  18. Kuo CJ, Tang HS, Tsay CJ, Lin SK, Hu WH, Chen CC. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among bereaved survivors of a disastrous earthquake in Taiwan. Psychiatr Serv. 2003;54:249–251
  19. Chou FH, Su TT, Chou P, Ou-Yang WC, Lu MK, Chien IC. Survey of psychiatric disorders in a Taiwanese village population six months after a major earthquake. J Formos Med Assoc. 2005;104:308–317
  20. Lai TJ, Chang CM, Connor KM, Lee LC, Davidson JR. Full and partial PTSD among earthquake survivors in rural Taiwan. J Psychiatr Res. 2004;38:313–322
  21. Hsu CC, Chong MY, Yang P, Yen CF. Posttraumatic stress disorder among adolescent earthquake victims in Taiwan. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2002;41:875–881
  22. Yang YK, Yeh TL, Chen CC, Lee CK, Lee IH, Lee LC, et al. Psychiatric morbidity and posttraumatic symptoms among earthquake victims in primary care clinics. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2003;25:253–261
  23. Chang CM, Lee LC, Connor KM, Davidson JR, Jeffries K, Lai TJ. Posttraumatic distress and coping strategies among rescue workers after an earthquake. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2003;191:391–398
  24. Chang CM, Connor KM, Lai TJ, Lee LC, Davidson JR. Predictors of posttraumatic outcomes following the 1999 Taiwan earthquake. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2005;193:40–46
  25. Wu HC, Chou P, Chou FH, Su CY, Tsai KY, Ou-Yang WC, et al. Survey of quality of life and related risk factors for a Taiwanese village population 3 years post-earthquake. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2006;40:355–361
  26. Cheng TA, Williams P. The design and development of a screening questionnaire (CHQ) for use in community studies of mental disorders in Taiwan. Psychol Med. 1986;16:415–422
  27. Chen CH, Shen WW, Tan HK, Chou JY, Lu ML. The validation study and application of stratum-specific likelihood ratios in the Chinese version of SPAN. Compr Psychiatry. 2003;44:78–81
  28. Cheng TA. A community study of minor psychiatric morbidity in Taiwan. Psychol Med. 1988;18:953–968
  29. Chong MY, Wilkinson G. Validation of 30- and 12-item versions of the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) in patients admitted for general health screening. Psychol Med. 1989;19:495–505
  30. Goldberg DP, Hillier VF. A scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire. Psychol Med. 1979;9:139–145
  31. Davidson JR, Book SW, Colket JT, Tupler LA, Roth S, David D, et al. Assessment of a new self-rating scale for post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychol Med. 1997;27:153–160
  32. Chen CH, Lin SK, Tang HS, Shen WW, Lu ML. The Chinese version of the Davidson Trauma Scale: a practice test for validation. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2001;55:493–499
  33. Meltzer-Brody S, Churchill E, Davidson JR. Derivation of the SPAN, a brief diagnostic screening test for post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Res. 1999;88:63–70
  34. Goenjian AK, Najarian LM, Pynoos RS, Steinberg AM, Manoukian G, Tavosian A, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder in elderly and younger adults after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. Am J Psychiatry. 1994;151:895–901
  35. Kato H, Asukai N, Miyake Y, Minakawa K, Nishiyama A. Post-traumatic symptoms among younger and elderly evacuees in the early stages following the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in Japan. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1996;93:477–481
  36. Armenian HK, Morikawa M, Melkonian AK, Hovanesian AP, Haroutunian N, Saigh PA, et al. Loss as a determinant of PTSD in a cohort of adult survivors of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia: implications for policy. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2000;102:58–64
  37. Sharan P, Chaudhary G, Kavathekar SA, Saxena S. Preliminary report of psychiatric disorders in survivors of a severe earthquake. Am J Psychiatry. 1996;153:556–558
  38. Altindag A, Ozen S, Sir A. One-year follow-up study of posttraumatic stress disorder among earthquake survivors in Turkey. Compr Psychiatry. 2005;46:328–333
  39. Wang X, Gao L, Zhang H, Zhao C, Shen Y, Shinfuku N. Post-earthquake quality of life and psychological well-being: longitudinal evaluation in a rural community sample in northern China. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2000;54:427–433
  40. McMillen C, North C, Mosley M, Smith E. Untangling the psychiatric comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder in a sample of flood survivors. Compr Psychiatry. 2002;43:478–485
  41. Keane TM, Kaloupek DG. Comorbid psychiatric disorders in PTSD. Implications for research. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1997;821:24–34
  42. Brady KT, Killeen TK, Brewerton T, Lucerini S. Comorbidity of psychiatric disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2000;61(Suppl 7):22–32
  43. Hyer L, Fallon JH, Harrison WR, Boudewyns PA. MMPI overreporting by Vietnam combat veterans. J Clin Psychol. 1987;43:79–83

PII: S0010-440X(06)00143-X

doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2006.12.003

Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 48, Issue 3 , Pages 269-275 , May 2007