Assessment of psychopathological consequences in children at 3 years after tsunami disaster.

BACKGROUND: At 1 year after the Tsunami disaster, 30% of students in two high risk schools at Takuapa district of Phang Nga Province still suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The number ofpatients was sharply declined after 18 months. The psychological consequences in children who diagnosed PTSD after the event were reinvestigated again at 3 years, as there were reports of significant comorbidity and continuing of subsyndromal post traumatic stress symptoms in children suffered from other disasters.

OBJECTIVE: To assess psychological outcomes and factors contributed at 3-year follow up time in children diagnosed PTSD at 1-year after the Tsunami disaster

MATERIAL AND METHOD: There were 45 students who were diagnosed PTSD at 1-year after the disaster At 3-year follow up time, clinical interview for psychiatric diagnosis was done by psychiatrists.

RESULTS: 11.1% of students who had been diagnosed as PTSD at 1-year after Tsunami still had chronic PTSD and 15% had either depressive disorder or anxiety disorder 25% of students completely recovered from mental disorders. Nearly 50% ofstudents were categorized in partial remission or subsyndromal PTSD group. Factors which influenced long-term outcomes were prior history of trauma and severe physical injury from the disaster.

CONCLUSION: Although the point prevalence of PTSD in children affected by Tsunami was declined overtime, a significant number of students still suffer from post traumatic stress symptoms, depressive disorder or anxiety disorder which need psychological intervention.