Psychological distress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in young survivors of L'Aquila earthquake

Aim. The aim of the study is to evaluate the presence of PTSD diagnosis, psychological distress and post-traumatic symptoms in a population of young earthquake survivors after L'Aquila earthquake. Methods. Between April 2009 and January 2010, 187 young people seeking help consecutively at the Service for Monitoring and early Intervention against psychoLogical and mEntal suffering in young people (SMILE) of L'Aquila University Psychiatric Department, underwent clinical interview with the Semi-Structured Clinical Interview DSM-IV-I and-II (SCID-I and SCID-II) and psychometric evaluation with Impact Event Scale-Revised (TES-R) and General Health Questionnaire-12 items (GHQ-12). Results. 44.2% and 37.4% respectively, showed high and moderate levels of psychological distress. 66.7% reported the presence of a significant post-traumatic: symptoms (Post-traumatic Syndrome) with an IES-R>28, while a diagnosis of PTSD was made in 13.8% of the sample. The obsessive-compulsive trait, female sex and high level of distress (GHQ >= 20) appear to be the main risk factors for the development of PTSD than those who had a post-traumatic syndrome for which the displacement and social disruption, appear to be more associated with post-traumatic aftermaths. Discussion. Our findings, in line with recent literature, confirm that a natural disaster produces an high psychological distress with long-term aftermaths. Early intervention for survivors of collective or individual trauma, regardless of the presence of a PTSD diagnosis should be a primary goal in a program of Public Health.