Post-traumatic stress spectrum in young versus middle-aged L’Aquila 2009 earthquake survivors
Year: 2012
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective \n \nThe aim of this study was to investigate full blown and partial \n \npost-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD), besides post-traumatic \n \nstress symptoms, in a selected group of young and middle-age \n \nsubjects who survived to the 2009 L’Aquila (Italy) earthquake, \n \nwith a particular focus on the impact of age, gender and of their \n \npossible interaction. \n \nMethod \n \nNine-hundred and thirty-nine subjects (468 women and 471 \n \nmen, recruited amongst high-school students and their parents/ \n \nrelatives who volunteered for the study, were included. All subjects \n \nwere assessed by the Trauma and Loss spectrum-self report \n \n(TALS-SR) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES). \n \nResults \n \nThree hundred and seventy-two (41.3%) subjects reported full \n \nPTSD, and 294 (32.5%) partial PTSD. Women reported significantly \n \nhigher PTSD rates and partial symptoms than men who, \n \nin turn, showed significantly higher maladaptive copying behaviours, \n \nsuch as higher suicidal intention and attempts. Interestingly, \n \nyounger men were more prone than women towards alcohol, \n \ndrug or substance abuse and risk-taking activities. More mature \n \nsubjects of both sexes reported significantly higher re-experiencing \n \nand arousal symptoms than younger ones. \n \nConclusions \n \nHigh rates of full and partial PTSD and post-traumatic stress \n \nsymptoms were detected in a group of Italian earthquake survivors, \n \nespecially among women. On the contrary, men reacted \n \nto trauma with more maladaptive copying behaviours, particularly \n \nevident in the younger ones. Our results would indicate the \n \nneed to carefully take into consideration age and gender impact \n \non post-traumatic stress symptoms in subjects exposed to earthquakes, \n \nin order to identify rapidly high-risk subjects and possibly \n \nprevent maladaptive behaviours.
Language: Italian
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2109836720