Background
The occurrence of PTSD, depression, and anxiety is notably high among older adults following an earthquake. This research aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of mental health conditions among older survivors after an earthquake.
 

Background

National guidelines recognize lifetime trauma as relevant to clinical care for adults nearing the end of life. We determined the prevalence of early life and cumulative trauma among persons at the end of life by gender and birth cohort, and the association of lifetime trauma with end-of-life physical, mental, and social well-being.

Methods

Highlights

•  Earthquakes cause profound physical and mental health impacts in human history.
•  Affected adults face about twice the risk of short-term stress-related psychiatric disorders.
•  Risk of PTSD is significantly higher in adults affected by earthquakes.
•  Middle-aged males (40-64 years) show higher rates of stress-related mental illnesses short-term (<1 year) and long-term (up to 20 years)

Scalable light-touch programs that align with the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) approach is becoming an established intervention model for refugee youth with symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) is one example and, as TF-CBT guidelines state, parent sessions are included as the model relies on parents to provide support and instigate the techniques. In addition to traumatic stress, refugee families are often subjected to acculturative, isolation and resettlement stress.