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Indian Journal of Medical Sciences
Medknow Publications on behalf of Indian Journal of Medical Sciences Trust
ISSN: 0019-5359 EISSN: 0019-5359
Vol. 63, No. 8, 2009, pp. 330-334
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Bioline Code: ms09060
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Indian Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol. 63, No. 8, 2009, pp. 330-334
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Risk of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in survivors of the floods in Bihar, India
Telles, Shirley; Singh, Nilkamal & Joshi, Meesha
Abstract
Background: Following a natural disaster, survivors are vulnerable to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/ or depression. Objectives: (i) To screen survivors of the Bihar floods a month after the event to determine their scores in a screening questionnaire for PTSD and/ or depression and (ii) to correlate these scores with age and gender. Materials and Methods: One thousand two hundred eighty-nine persons (645 females) who had been directly exposed to the floods in Bihar, India, in August 2008 were assessed. The Screening Questionnaire for Disaster Mental Health (SQD) was used to screen for PTSD and depression. Statistical Analysis: Separate two-factor ANOVAs were used to compare persons of both sexes and 5 different age groups for PTSD and depression scores. This was followed by post-hoc analysis for multiple comparisons. Results: People over the age of 60 years had significantly higher scores for PTSD and depression compared to all groups (P< 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion: Following a natural disaster, older people appear more vulnerable to develop PTSD and depression. This should be taken into account in devising strategies for disaster relief.
Keywords
Disasters, India, posttraumatic stress disorders
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© Copyright 2009 Indian Journal of Medical Sciences. Alternative site location: http://www.indianjmedsci.org/
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