Stress Disorders Can Affect Many Disaster Victims

More than one-third of disaster victims may suffer from stress disorders in the years following the disaster, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M, Ann Arbor, USA) examined peer-reviewed studies conducted between 1980, when post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was first included as a disorder in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, and 2003. The earliest disaster included in the review was a 1963 landslide and flood that took place in northeastern Italy, and the most recent was the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City.

The review showed that in the year following a hurricane, tornado, terrorist attack, or other natural or man-made disaster, 30-40% of adults directly affected may suffer from PTSD and, in addition, approximately 10-20% of rescue workers and 5-10% of the general population may experience PTSD symptoms, including flashbacks, recurrent dreams of the event, survival guilt, and hyper-vigilance.

The prevalence of PTSD was found to be higher after human-made and technologic disasters than after natural disasters. However, the authors noted, studies conducted after these disasters have often focused on direct victims, while studies of natural disasters typically include samples of people in the overall community who probably had substantially lower exposure to the disaster. Women consistently have a higher prevalence of PTSD after disasters than men, as do people with pre-existing or concurrent psychiatric disorders, and those who have previously experienced traumatic events or substantial stress. The review of studies appears in the 2006 issue of Epidemiologic Reviews.

"Our review of studies conducted in the aftermath of disasters during the past 40 years shows that there is a substantial burden of PTSD among people who experience a disaster,” said lead author Dr. Sandro Gale, M.D., an associate professor at the U-M School of Public Health and a research affiliate at the U-M Institute for Social Research.



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