[Analysis of symptom checklist 90 of relief crew during critical period after Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the psychological features of relief crew in critical period after Wenchuan earthquake and to improve their mental health.

METHODS: On May 12 of 2008, severe earthquake of a magnitude of 8.0 on Richter scale occurred in Wenchuan county, Sichuan province of China. Within 20 days after the earthquake, a research group conducted a study of psychological features of 600 relief crew with symptom checklist 90 (SCL-90), and the general symptom index and factorial scores were compared with Chinese norm (results from 1 388 personnel, published in 1986) and army norm (results from 19,662 servicemen, published in 1999). The positive items were measured and the relative factors were evaluated.

RESULTS: (1) In the critical period after the earthquake, the relief workers had lower general symptomatic index than Chinese normal personnel or normal servicemen (both P<0.01). (2) Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (factorial score: 1.29+/-0.36) and somatization symptoms (factorial score: 1.22+/-0.29) were the main psychologic problems in this period. (3) Psychology of relief workers was correlated positively with working zones and education (r1=0.29, r2=0.15, both P<0.01), while negatively with working period (r=-0.28 , P<0.01).

CONCLUSION: In immediate post-tremor period, the mental health of relief crew is predominantly fine, with obsessive-compulsive symptoms and somatization symptoms as outstanding mental disorders. Working zone, working period and education are main factors which affect their mental health.