Natural Course of Posttraumatic Symptoms in Late-Adolescent Maritime Disaster Survivors: Results of A 12-Month Follow-Up Study.
- Author:
Sang Won JEON
1
;
Ho Kyoung YOON
;
Yong Ku KIM
;
Changsu HAN
;
Young Hoon KO
;
Seo Young YOON
;
Cheolmin SHIN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Posttraumatic symptoms; Disaster; Trauma; Adolescent; School
- MeSH: Adolescent; Anxiety; Checklist; Disasters*; Female; Follow-Up Studies*; Humans; Male; Observational Study; Prospective Studies; Ships; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Survivors*; Weights and Measures
- From:Psychiatry Investigation 2018;15(6):574-583
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study is a prospective observational study on 75 late-adolescent survivors of a large passenger ship accident from immediately after the accident to one year later. METHODS: Assessments of student survivors were conducted on day 2 and at months 1, 6, and 12. The PTSD Checklist (PCL), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), State subscale of the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were administered. RESULTS: When the assessments for day 2 and month 12 were compared, all the scales, except the PCL-avoidance subscale, showed a significant improvement in symptoms among males. However, among females, all the scales, except the PCL-re-experience subscale and the STAI-S, failed to show a significant improvement. All the symptoms for both males and females showed a pattern that decreased to the lowest level at month 1 (camp-based controlled intervention period), then increased at months 6 and 12 (voluntary individual treatment after returning to school). CONCLUSION: The rapid deterioration of psychological symptoms was found during the chronic phase, when students returned to their daily routines and received voluntary individual therapy. There is a need to screen high-risk adolescents and be more attentive to them during this period.
