Eroglu Mehtap, Yaksı Nese
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Department of Public Health, Amasya University School of Medicine, Amasya, Turkey.
Nord J Psychiatry. 2025 Jan;79(1):26-33. doi: 10.1080/08039488.2024.2430245. Epub 2024 Nov 18.
Earthquakes are natural disasters that can have significant psychological impacts on individuals, particularly children. While physical injuries are often the immediate focus following an earthquake, the psychological effects can be long-lasting and profound. Understanding the psychiatric effects of traumatic experiences in children following earthquakes is crucial for developing effective interventions and support systems.
One hundred fifty three children and adolescents who experienced the earthquake were evaluated in the first year of the earthquake. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were measured using standardized assessment tools. Factors that may be related to psychopathology, such as sleep disturbance, the extent of trauma, and where one lived after the earthquake, were also evaluated. The anxiety, depression and stress levels of the mother and father separately and their relationship with the child's psychopathology were evaluated.
The frequency of depression risk among participants was found to be 24.8%, while the frequency of anxiety risk was 62.8%. The frequency of PTSD risk was 97.4%. Children who migrated to another province after the earthquake had higher scale scores. Parental depression anxiety stress level was positively correlated with children's scale scores. Disruption in sleep patterns increased the risk of depression by 2.38 times. Experiencing the loss of friends in the earthquake increased PTSD score by 6.27.
The findings of this study highlight the importance of addressing the psychiatric needs of children following earthquakes. Psychosocial support and access to appropriate treatment should be prioritized to mitigate the long-term psychological effects of traumatic experiences in children.
地震是自然灾害，会对个人，尤其是儿童产生重大心理影响。虽然地震后身体损伤往往是直接关注的焦点，但心理影响可能是长期且深刻的。了解地震后儿童创伤经历的精神影响对于制定有效的干预措施和支持系统至关重要。
在地震发生后的第一年，对153名经历地震的儿童和青少年进行了评估。使用标准化评估工具测量抑郁、焦虑和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状。还评估了可能与精神病理学相关的因素，如睡眠障碍、创伤程度以及地震后居住的地点。分别评估了父母的焦虑、抑郁和压力水平及其与孩子精神病理学的关系。
参与者中抑郁风险的发生率为24.8%，而焦虑风险的发生率为62.8%。PTSD风险的发生率为97.4%。地震后迁移到另一个省份的儿童得分较高。父母的抑郁、焦虑、压力水平与孩子的得分呈正相关。睡眠模式紊乱使抑郁风险增加2.38倍。在地震中失去朋友使PTSD得分增加6.27。
本研究结果强调了满足地震后儿童精神需求的重要性。应优先提供心理社会支持和获得适当治疗，以减轻儿童创伤经历的长期心理影响。
