Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Residential Care After an Earthquake: A Follow-Up Study

Earthquakes are frequent and devastating disasters, causing significant physical and psychiatric consequences, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to investigate PTSD in adolescents raised in residential care after a natural disaster.

48 adolescents in residential care and 54 living with families, aged 12-18 years, participated. Initial interviews were conducted one month after the earthquake, with follow-ups at three months. Assessment tools included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Children's PTSD Reaction Index, and Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children.

Posttraumatic stress disorder severity significantly decreased in family-raised adolescents (t=3.986, p <0.001), but no change was seen in residential care adolescents (t=0.584, p=0.563). Comorbid psychiatric disorders were less frequent in family-raised adolescents (χ²=18.785, p=0.001). While no significant difference in total CTQ scores was found (z=-0.417, p=0.677), subscales showed significant differences between two groups. A backward binary logistic regression analysis revealed that lower levels of physical neglect were a statistically significant predictor of PTSD (p=0.024). Although not reaching statistical significance, increased sexual abuse (p=0.075) emerged as a relevant predictor of PTSD.

Adolescents in residential care had more persistent PTSD symptoms, greater childhood adversity, and higher psychiatric comorbidities than those in family care. Decrement in physical neglect and increased sexual abuse were PTSD predictors, although only the former reached statistical significance. Further research with larger samples and longer follow-ups is needed.