Post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors of Bam earthquake 40 days after the event.

To investigate the point prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a group of survivors of the Barn 2003 earthquake, 145 participants (83 females and 62 males) were studied using structured interviews according to PTSD Symptom Scale (PSS) and Revised Impact of Event Scale (R-IES) items. The mean number of first and second order family members who had died in the disaster was 75.7, range 0 to 350 persons. About 81% of the participants were eligible for PTSD diagnosis according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV or DSM IV-TR) criteria. No significant correlation was found between demographic variables or history of psychiatric illness and measures of psychological distress.