Abstract

LOPEZ-GARCIA, Juan José  and  LOPEZ-SOLER, Concepción. Post-traumatic stress disorder in schoolchildren after the 2011 earthquake in Lorca (Spain). Gac Sanit [online]. 2014, vol.28, n.3, pp.230-233. ISSN 0213-9111.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2013.10.009.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children after the 2011 earthquake in Lorca (Spain). Methods: By using a cross-sequential design, children aged from 8 to 12 years (495 students at 1 month and 374 at 1 year) were assessed for full and partial PTSD using the Post-traumatic Children's Symptoms Stress Disorder Scale. Results: The percentage of children with PTSD was 55.4% (65.6% of girls and 46.9% of boys) at 1 month and 40.1% (44.5% girls and 35.9% children) at 1 year. One in two young girls (8-10 years) had PTSD 1 year after the earthquake. Discussion: A differential effect was observed due to gender and age, in which younger children, especially girls, were particularly at risk, even 1 year after the earthquake.

Keywords : Post-traumatic stress disorder; Children; Earthquakes; Sex differences.

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