Longitudinal course of physical and psychological symptoms after a natural disaster.

Background: After disaster, physical symptoms are common although seldom recognized due to lack of knowledge of the course of symptoms and relation to more studied psychological symptoms.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the change in the reporting of different physical symptoms after a disaster, including possible factors for change, and whether psychological symptoms predict physical symptoms reporting at a later point in time.

Method: A longitudinal study of citizens of Stockholm who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Physical symptoms 14 months after a natural disaster in individuals with or without injury are associated with different types of exposure.

Objective: To investigate whether different types of exposure to the 2004 tsunami were associated with physical symptoms 14 months after the disaster and to study correlations between survivors' physical and psychological symptoms.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 1505 survivors from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, tourists from Stockholm, who had been present in the disaster areas, responded to a postal questionnaire. Eight groups based on type of exposure were created.