Piyavhatkul Nawanant, Pairojkul Srivieng, Suphakunpinyo Chanyut
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Med Princ Pract. 2008;17(4):290-5. doi: 10.1159/000129608. Epub 2008 Jun 3.
To study the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children affected by the Asian tsunami in Ranong province, Southern Thailand 10 months after the disaster.
The subjects were 47 boys and 47 girls, age 1-18 years, who were affected by the tsunami. They were participants in the Psychosocial Care and Protection System for Tsunami-Affected Children in Ranong Province project. The subjects were interviewed by a psychiatrist and diagnoses were made according to DSM IV criteria.
Of the 94 children, 47 (50%) had at least one psychiatric diagnosis: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): n = 31 (33%); major depression: n = 9 (9.6%); adjustment disorder: n = 9 (9.6%), and separation anxiety disorder: n = 3 (3.2%). The psychiatric diagnoses, specifically PTSD, were significantly associated with the child's age and exposure to the traumatic events.
Ten months after the tsunami disaster, there is a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children, suggesting the importance of early identification, intervention and follow-up.
研究泰国南部拉廊府亚洲海啸受灾儿童在灾难发生10个月后精神障碍的患病率。
研究对象为47名男孩和47名女孩，年龄在1至18岁之间，均为海啸受灾者。他们是拉廊府海啸受灾儿童社会心理关怀与保护系统项目的参与者。由一名精神科医生对研究对象进行访谈，并根据《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》第四版标准做出诊断。
在这94名儿童中，47名（50%）至少有一种精神疾病诊断：创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）：n = 31（33%）；重度抑郁症：n = 9（9.6%）；适应障碍：n = 9（9.6%），以及分离焦虑障碍：n = 3（3.2%）。精神疾病诊断，尤其是PTSD，与儿童年龄及遭受创伤事件显著相关。
海啸灾难发生10个月后，儿童精神障碍患病率很高，提示早期识别、干预及随访的重要性。
