Post-traumatic stress disorder associated with natural and human-made disasters in the World Mental Health Surveys.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following natural and human-made disasters has been undertaken for more than three decades. Although PTSD prevalence estimates vary widely, most are in the 20-40% range in disaster-focused studies but considerably lower (3-5%) in the few general population epidemiological surveys that evaluated disaster-related PTSD as part of a broader clinical assessment. The World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys provide an opportunity to examine disaster-related PTSD in representative general population surveys across a much wider range of sites than in previous studies.

Method

Although disaster-related PTSD was evaluated in 18 WMH surveys, only six in high-income countries had enough respondents for a risk factor analysis. Predicto

SUBMITTER: Bromet EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5432967 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature