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. 2007 Jan;97(1):99-101.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.071167. Epub 2006 Nov 30.

Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in a coastal fishing village in Tamil Nadu, India, after the December 2004 tsunami

M Suresh Kumar  1 , Manoj V Murhekar, Yvan Hutin, Thilakavathi Subramanian, Vidya Ramachandran, Mohan D Gupte
Affiliations

Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in a coastal fishing village in Tamil Nadu, India, after the December 2004 tsunami

M Suresh Kumar et al. Am J Public Health. 2007 Jan.

Abstract

Two months after the December 2004 tsunami in Tamil Nadu, India, we surveyed adults aged 18 years or older in a severely affected coastal village using structured interviews and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder was 12.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]=9.4%, 17.1%), and odds of posttraumatic stress disorder were higher among individuals with no household incomes, women, and those injured during the tsunami. In addition to promoting feelings of safety, interventions aimed toward populations affected by the December 2004 tsunami need to focus on income-generating activities. Also, there is a need to target initiatives toward women and those individuals injured during the tsunami, given that these groups are more likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder.

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