Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Mar 30:10:172.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-172.

Are the elderly more vulnerable to psychological impact of natural disaster? A population-based survey of adult survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

Zhaobao Jia  1 , Wenhua Tian, Weizhi Liu, Yang Cao, Jin Yan, Zhisheng Shun
Affiliations

Are the elderly more vulnerable to psychological impact of natural disaster? A population-based survey of adult survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

Zhaobao Jia et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The association between ages and psychological impact of natural disasters has not been well characterized. A population-based study was conducted 15 months after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to assess whether elderly survivors were more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general psychiatric morbidity.

Methods: A population-based survey of 327 survivors (152 elders, 175 younger adults) was conducted in severely affected areas by the earthquake, using a multi-stage systematic sampling design.

Results: Compared with the younger adult survivors, the elderly were more likely to have symptoms of PTSD (22.5% vs. 8.0%, p = 0.001) and general psychiatric morbidity (42.0% vs. 25.4%, p = 0.003). Risk factors, such as being elderly, having been in serious danger, having lost family members, and having felt guilt concerning one's death or injury were significantly associated with developing PTSD; being elderly, having family members or friends seriously injured, and having felt guilt concerning one's death or injury were significantly associated with developing general psychiatric morbidity. Utilization of mental health services is strongly associated with the decreased risk for developing both of the symptoms.

Conclusion: Compared with the younger adults, the elderly survivors were more likely to develop PTSD and general psychiatric morbidity. More mental health services should be distributed to the elderly and groups at particular risk, to ensure their smooth mental health reconstruction after the earthquake.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sampling strategies for adult survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, China.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Chan EY. The untold stories of the Sichuan earthquake. Lancet. 2008;372:359–362. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61141-1. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rapid Assessment of the Needs and Health Status of Older Adults After Hurricane Charley -- Charlotte, DeSoto, and Hardee Counties, Florida, August 27--31, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5336a2.htm - PubMed
    1. Pekovic V, Seff L, Rothman MB. Planning for and responding to special needs of elders in natural disasters. Generations. 2007;31:37–41.
    1. Goenjian AK, Najarian LM, Pynoos RS, Steinberg AM, Manoukian G, Tavosian A, Fairbanks LA. Posttraumatic stress disorder in elderly and younger adults after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. Am J Psychiatry. 1994;151:895–901. - PubMed
    1. van Griensven F, Chakkraband ML, Thienkrua W, Pengjuntr W, Lopes Cardozo B, Tantipiwatanaskul P, Mock PA, Ekassawin S, Varangrat A, Gotway C. Mental health problems among adults in tsunami-affected areas in southern Thailand. JAMA. 2006;296:537–548. doi: 10.1001/jama.296.5.537. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms