Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among the Adolescents Reside in Padang’s Prone Earthquake Area in West Sumatera, Indonesia

Abstract

The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the adolescents after earthquakes is not commonly reported in Indonesia. However, symptoms of PTSD such as loss of concentration, re-experiencing, avoidance and numbing commonly presented to the medical staffs even two years after 30th September of 2009 which was the worst earthquakes in Indonesia. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between individual characteristics, family status and cognitive factors (coping strategies and self-efficacy) with PTSD among adolescents in earthquake prone areas. Padang, West Sumatera was chosen after the occurrence of the earthquake on 30th September 2009. A cross sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 600 adolescents using revised University of California, Los Angeles Reaction Index (UCLA-RI) questionnaire to measure PTSD, levels of trauma and coping strategies. The result showed that the prevalence of PTSD among adolescents aged 12 - 18-year-old at 32 months after the earthquake was 36%. The adolescents’ age (p < 0.01), gender (p < 0.01), coping strategies (p = 0.04) and self-efficacy (p = 0.02) were significantly associated with the PTSD. Parental status, family income and parents’ education status were found not related to PTSD. Parents and school teachers must be alerted on the important of adolescents’ physical and mental health screening post traumatic disaster such as earthquake even though adolescents are well known of fit and healthy group. Good coping strategies and having strong self-efficacy were found useful tool to buffer and reduce the occurrence of PTSD.