Prevalence and risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder among elderly survivors six months after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China.

Background: Several studies indicate that older age is a risk factor for probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, evidence on the prevalence and risk factors for elderly disaster survivors is limited.

Methods: Multi-stage stratified sampling was applied in this cross-sectional study.

Probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Its Predictors in Disaster-Bereaved Survivors: A Longitudinal Study After the Sichuan Earthquake.

This study examined the trajectory of probable PTSD prevalence and severity, and analyzed the predictors for PTSD severity in bereaved survivors at 6 months and 18 months after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. This was a longitudinal study with 226 bereaved survivors sampled at 6 months and 18 months post-earthquake. The instrument used in the study was the revised version of the Impact of Event Scale.