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Published on: July 10, 2017
[Post-traumatic stress disorder in schoolchildren after the 2011 earthquake in Lorca (Spain)]
Juan José López-García1, Concepción López-Soler2
1Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, España.
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.
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