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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Prevalence, risk factors and aging vulnerability for psychopathology following a natural disaster in a developing country | | Author(s) | R Kohn, I Levav, I Donaire Garcia |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 20, no 9, September 2005 |
| Pages | pp 835-841 |
| Source | http://www.interscience.wiley.com |
| Keywords | Disasters [natural] ; Depression ; Stress ; Alcoholism ; Evaluation ; Honduras. |
| Annotation | Older people are at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study explored the psychopathological reactions to a natural disaster and their respective risk factors among older people in Honduras and their vulnerability as compared to other adults. 800 respondents of both genders aged 15 and above, of whom 103 were aged 60+, were selected from high, middle and low residential status areas of Teguelgalpo that had suffered high and low exposure to the devastating effects of Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to diagnose PTSD, and the Impact of Events Scale was administered as a measure of severity of post-traumatic reaction. Depression and alcohol misuse were examined using screening instruments. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was used as both a measure of emotional distress and dichotomised to screen for probable psychiatric disorder. PTSD depression and SRQ-case were found, respectively in 13.6%, 18.8% and 21.4% of older people. Their reactions did not differ in frequency than those of younger adults. Among older people, pre-hurricane psychological problems and the intensity of exposure were associated with increased risk for all outcomes measured except for alcohol misuse. No evidence was found for a differential vulnerability on the part of older people as compared with younger adults. Among older people, increasing age was not a factor. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-051108213 A |
| Classmark | RG: ENR: QNH: ETA: 4C: 7UB |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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