Psychological consequences and quality of life among medical rescuers who responded to the 2010 Yushu earthquake: A neglected problem

Peng Kang; Yipeng Lv; Lu Hao; Bihan Tang; Zhipeng Liu; Xu Liu; Yuan Liu; Lulu Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2015.09.047

Psychological consequences and quality of life among medical rescuers who responded to the 2010 Yushu earthquake: A neglected problem

Psychiatry Res. 2015 Dec 15;230(2):517-23. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.09.047. Epub 2015 Oct 21.

Authors

Peng Kang¹, Yipeng Lv¹, Lu Hao², Bihan Tang¹, Zhipeng Liu¹, Xu Liu¹, Yuan Liu¹, Lulu Zhang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Military Health Management, College of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
² Office of Teaching and Training, Division of Graduate, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
³ Department of Military Health Management, College of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: zllrmit@163.com.

PMID: 26476590
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.09.047

Abstract

A comprehensive study was conducted 8 months after the 2010 Yushu earthquake to assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among medical rescuers and the rescuers' quality of life. Additionally, the study examines differences between local and supporting forces, as well as the relationship between PTSD and lower quality of life (QoL), and the risk factors for both. A total of 338 rescuers (including 123 local rescuers and 215 supporting ones) were randomly selected from Yushu County (the epicenter) and Xining City using multistage systematic sampling. Two standardized instruments, the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) and the Chinese version of the WHOQOL-BREF, were used to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD and obtain the rescuers' QoL. Being between 40 and 50 years old, a nurse, Tibetan, having been in serious danger or having received mental health training before this earthquake were significantly and independently associated with PTSD symptoms. Compared with supporting rescuers, local rescuers were more likely to develop PTSD and to report a lower QoL. Additional mental health services and training should be available to at-risk medical rescuers and groups to ensure they are adequately prepared for relief efforts and to maintain their mental health after assistance in disaster relief.

Keywords: Earthquake; Local forces; Medical rescuers; Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Quality of life (QoL); Support forces.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
China
Cross-Sectional Studies
Disaster Victims / psychology*
Disaster Victims / statistics & numerical data
Earthquakes*
Emergency Medical Technicians / psychology*
Emergency Medical Technicians / statistics & numerical data
Female
Humans
Male
Medical Staff / psychology*
Medical Staff / statistics & numerical data
Middle Aged
Multiple Trauma / psychology*
Quality of Life / psychology*
Relief Work
Rescue Work
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult