AUTHOR=Yang Yanlin , Zeng Wenqi , Lu Bingqing , Wen Jin 

TITLE=The Contributing Factors of Delayed-Onset Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Nested Case-Control Study Conducted After the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.682714

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.682714

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder after catastrophes is a major public health issue. However, good designs for identifying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among earthquake survivors are rare. This is the first nested case-control study to explore the possible factors associated with delayed-onset PTSD symptoms.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> A nested case-control study was conducted. The baseline (2011) and follow-up (2018) surveys were utilized to collect data. A total of 361 survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake were investigated and 340 survivors underwent follow-up. The survivors, from the hardest-hit areas, who met the criteria for PTSD were included in the case group, and PTSD-free survivors from the same area, matched for age, were included in the control group, with a ratio of one to four. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the variables' odds ratio (OR).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The overall prevalence of delayed-onset PTSD symptoms in survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake was 9.7% (33/340). The unemployed earthquake survivors had a higher risk of developing delayed-onset PTSD symptoms (OR = 4.731, 95% CI = 1.408–15.901), while higher perceived social support was a protective factor against delayed-onset PTSD symptoms (OR = 0.172, 95% CI = 0.052–0.568).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Delayed-onset PTSD symptoms, after a disaster, should not be ignored. Active social support and the provision of stable jobs can contribute to the earthquake survivors' mental health.</p>