OBJECTIVETo investigate mental health status among middle school students in Wenchuan earthquake region three months after the earthquake.

METHODS38 classes of 3 middle schools in the disaster region were selected and 1966 students were invited to participate the investigation. The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist-civilian version was used to screen positive PTSD, and the perceived social support scale (PSSS) was used to evaluate the level of perceived social support.

RESULTS1958 valid questionnaires were selected. The general positive rate of PTSD was 78.29% (1533/1958). PTSD prevalence of the girls was 82.30%(851/1034), higher than that of the boys (73.92% (683/924), chi(2) = 20.22, P < 0.01); the rate of the minority students was 80.27% (1375/1713), higher than that of the Han students (64.98% (154/237), chi(2) = 28.75, P < 0.01); the rate of the rural students was 83.52% (872/1044), higher than that of the urban students (72.43% (662/914), chi(2) = 35.37, P < 0.01); the rate of those who were injured in the quake was 90.38% (94/104), higher than that of the uninjured (77.66% (1439/1853), chi(2) = 9.40, P < 0.01). The level of perceived social support and family support of the subjects was high while outside family support was average. The medians of the score were 21, 60 and 39, respectively. The severity of PTSD was negatively correlated with perceived social support, and perceived support within and outside family (r values were -0.191, -0.130 and -0.190 respectively, all P values < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe incidence rate of PTSD is high among the middle school students in disaster region. The symptoms and severity of PTSD are different in the middle school students with different characteristics. Moreover, the more perceived social support they obtain, the better health status they keep.