Identifying PTSD trajectories and associated factors in disaster victims
1Department of Social Welfare, Mokwon University.
Psychological Trauma : Theory, Research, Practice and Policy
|August 21, 2025
Summary
This study identified four posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) trajectories in disaster survivors, revealing key factors like income and resilience that influence mental health outcomes and intervention needs.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Disaster Psychology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant concern for disaster victims.
- Understanding the long-term mental health trajectories of survivors is crucial for effective support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To classify disaster victims into distinct posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) trajectory groups.
- To identify individual and community-level risk and protective factors associated with each PTSD trajectory.
Main Methods:
- Latent class growth analysis of panel data from 3,288 South Korean disaster victims (2016-2019).
- Four time-point PTSD measurements were used to define trajectories.
- Multinomial logistic regression examined predictors of group membership.
Main Results:
- Four PTSD trajectory groups were identified: mild-fluctuating (60%), stable low (20%), chronic high (15%), and early high (5%).
- Significant predictors included income, resilience, depression, pretrauma history, and community resilience.
Conclusions:
- Disaster victims exhibit diverse PTSD trajectories, necessitating tailored interventions.
- Identifying risk and protective factors is key to improving mental health support for survivors.
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