The Contributing Factors of Delayed-Onset Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Nested Case-Control Study Conducted After the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

Background: Delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder after catastrophes is a major public health issue. However, good designs for identifying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among earthquake survivors are rare. This is the first nested case-control study to explore the possible factors associated with delayed-onset PTSD symptoms.Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted. The baseline (2011) and follow-up (2018) surveys were utilized to collect data. A total of 361 survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake were investigated and 340 survivors underwent follow-up. The survivors, from the hardest-hit areas, who met the criteria for PTSD were included in the case group, and PTSD-free survivors from the same area, matched for age, were included in the control group, with a ratio of one to four. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the variables' odds ratio (OR).Results: The overall prevalence of delayed-onset PTSD symptoms in survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake was 9.7% (33/340). The unemployed earthquake survivors had a higher risk of developing delayed-onset PTSD symptoms (OR = 4.731, 95% CI = 1.408–15.901), while higher perceived social support was a protective factor against delayed-onset PTSD symptoms (OR = 0.172, 95% CI = 0.052–0.568).Conclusion: Delayed-onset PTSD symptoms, after a disaster, should not be ignored. Active social support and the provision of stable jobs can contribute to the earthquake survivors' mental health.

Quantifying the perceptions of the 2018 Palu earthquake survivors on the use of light bricks as a wall material of simple house

The construction of new housing for rehabilitation and reconstruction purposes must minimize the risks that may occur due to earthquakes, one of which is by using light materials (light bricks) as wall construction. However, the use of light bricks is often misunderstood by earthquake survivors because they are considered to have insufficient strength as a construction material. This paper intends to introduce light bricks to exposed communities and further quantify their perceptions of the application of this material to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of their buildings. The introduction of the material is done through socialization by displaying the results of laboratory tests of compressive strength and showing evidence of the application of this material in other places. The perceptions of the impacted community were analyzed from questionnaire results to 50 respondents with ten questions as the measurement reference. The results of the analysis show that almost all respondents show fairly good acceptance of light brick applications with a score of 3.70 of 5. Based on perception, the use of light bricks as a wall material has the opportunity to be applied for residential rehabilitation and reconstruction as a result of the 2018 Palu earthquake.

Mental Health, Social Support, and Active Coping in Nepali Earthquake Survivors

Research has shown a positive relationship between exposure to natural disasters and common disaster-related mental health disorders. However, much more can be done to fully examine how protective factors such as perceived social support or active coping strategies are related to mental health in the context of natural disasters. This study seeks to examine the relationship between mental disorders and active coping. The article also explores analyzes the moderating effect of perceived social support on mental health. Data were collected in August 2016 as part of a longitudinal study on a mental health and psychosocial intervention in postearthquake Nepal ( n = 660). Our independent variables in this study were anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. The dependent variable was active coping. Perceived social support was tested as a potential moderating variable. Ordinary least squares regression analyses were run to examine the relationships between the three mental disorders and active coping. We also tested the moderating effect of perceived social support on the relationships between the three mental disorders and active coping. Ordinary least square analyses found a statistically significant negative relationship between active coping and anxiety (B = −0.137, p < .001), depression (B = −0.116, p < .001), and posttraumatic stress symptoms (B = −0.065, p = .337), controlling for other factors. Perceived social support significantly moderated the associations between active coping and each mental disorder: anxiety (B = 0.012, p < .05), depression (B = 0.017, p < .05), and posttraumatic stress symptoms (B = 0.064, p < .05). Our findings suggest that perceived social support moderates the relationship between common mental disorders and active coping in Nepali earthquake survivors.

The factor structure of major depressive symptoms in a sample of Chinese earthquake survivors

Background Experiencing natural disasters is associated with common mental disorders including major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the latent structure of MDD is widely debated, and few studies tested the MDD factor structure in Chinese natural disaster survivors. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the factorial validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for DSM-5 major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms in Chinese earthquake survivors. Method Participants were 1058 Chinese earthquake survivors. Self-reported measures included the PHQ-9 and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the latent structure of MDD and the associations between latent factors of MDD and different domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), respectively. Results In the current sample, the model consisted of somatic and cognitive/affective (non-somatic) factors demonstrated significantly better fit than the other competing MDD models (χ2 = 173.89, df = 26, CFI = 0.986, TLI = 0.981, RMSEA = 0.073, BIC = 18,091.13). Further SEM analyses indicated that the non-somatic factor was significantly related to both physical (β = − 0.362, p < .01) and psychosocial HRQoL (β = − 0.773, p < .01), while the somatic factor was a uniquely predictor of physical HRQoL (β = − 0.336, p < .01). Furthermore, we found the somatic factor partially mediated the relationship between the cognitive/affective factor and physical HRQoL (all ps < .05). Conclusions The MDD symptoms was best captured by a two-factor model comprised of somatic and cognitive/affective factors in Chinese natural disaster survivors. The two MDD factors were differentially associated with physical and psychosocial HRQoL, and the cognitive/affective factor associated physical HRQoL partially through the somatic factor. The current findings increase our understanding of latent structure of MDD symptoms, and carry implications for assessment and intervention of post-disaster mental health problems.

Citizens’ Reflection on Democracy and Disaster in Nepal in the Wake of the 2015 Earthquake

On April 25, 2015, Nepal was hit by a massive earthquake. Thousands of lives were lost. Extensive damage to infrastructure and property was reported. Using 30 interviews, I firstly examine how the people survived in the early days of the disaster. Secondly, I discuss how the citizens of Nepal, perceived democracy as a political system that is still novel for them, in the aftermath of the crisis. The interviewees reflected on the government’s response to the earthquake. Evidently, the study highlights the disjuncture between the kinds of relief a democratic state is expected to provide for the citizens and the state’s actual response to the needs of the earthquake survivors. Nepal has adopted democracy since 1990, however, it has failed to deliver on its promises, and people are thus ambivalent about the system. However, in the final analysis, it becomes apparent that people are unwilling to revert back to the old autocratic system. The conclusions of the study compel one to consider certain social processes. What affects citizens’ expectations of their government in the aftermath of a major disaster is contingent upon how states have acted in normal times. The state’s response to disasters might be influenced by what citizens expect from the state in the first place, thus, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Finally, a democratic society is preferred by most, and the only way for the government to be more robust is to compel the leaders to adhere to the laws and regulations and operate according: those who break the laws must be made accountable.