Caroline J Bell1, Joseph M Boden2, L John Horwood2, Roger T Mulder1. 1. 1 Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand. 2. 2 Christchurch Health & Development Study, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined the contribution of specific disaster-related experiences to symptoms of depression. The aims of this study were to do this by examining the roles of peri-traumatic stress and distress due to lingering disaster-related disruption in explaining linkages between disaster exposure and major depressive disorder symptoms among a cohort exposed to the 2010-2011 Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes. METHODS: Structural equation models were fitted to data obtained from the Christchurch Health and Development Study at age 35 ( n = 495), 20-24 months following the onset of the disaster. Measures included earthquake exposure, peri-traumatic stress, disruption distress and symptoms of major depressive disorder. RESULTS: The associations between earthquake exposure and major depression were explained largely by the experience of peri-traumatic stress during the earthquakes (β = 0.180, p < 0.01) and not by disruption distress following the earthquakes (β = 0.048, p = 0.47). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that peri-traumatic stress has been under-recognised as a predictor of major depressive disorder.
OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined the contribution of specific disaster-related experiences to symptoms of depression. The aims of this study were to do this by examining the roles of peri-traumatic stress and distress due to lingering disaster-related disruption in explaining linkages between disaster exposure and major depressive disorder symptoms among a cohort exposed to the 2010-2011 Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes. METHODS: Structural equation models were fitted to data obtained from the Christchurch Health and Development Study at age 35 ( n = 495), 20-24 months following the onset of the disaster. Measures included earthquake exposure, peri-traumatic stress, disruption distress and symptoms of major depressive disorder. RESULTS: The associations between earthquake exposure and major depression were explained largely by the experience of peri-traumatic stress during the earthquakes (β = 0.180, p < 0.01) and not by disruption distress following the earthquakes (β = 0.048, p = 0.47). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that peri-traumatic stress has been under-recognised as a predictor of major depressive disorder.
Authors: Kelly M Correia; Shannon R Bierma; Sophia D Houston; Madison T Nelson; Khushwant S Pannu; Chase M Tirman; Randi L Cannon; Lauren R Clance; Dawn N Canterbury; Angela N Google; Blair H Morrison; Jeremiah A Henning Journal: J Microbiol Biol Educ Date: 2022-04-05