Table 1.
Comparison of demographic and clinical variables between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) group, earthquake-exposed controls, and non-exposed controls (in italics).
| PTSD group (N = 28) | Earthquake-exposed control group (N = 89) | Non-exposed control group (N = 50) | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Percentage (number) female | 71 (20) | 66 (58) | 64 (32) | NS |
| Age | ||||
| Mean years (SD) | 42.8 (12.8) | 50.1 (11.4) | 38.5 (9.8) | <0.001* |
| Years of secondary/tertiary education | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 4.9 (2.1) | 7.1 (2.7) | 6.1 (1.9) | <0.001* |
| Time from February 22, 2011 earthquake (days) | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 1,065 (218) | 767 (98) | NA | <0.001* |
| Current diagnosis on Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview | ||||
| % (number) PTSD | 100 (28) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | <0.001** |
| % (number) Depression | 79 (22) | 1 (1) | 0 (0) | <0.001** |
| % (number) Social phobia | 36 (10) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | <0.001** |
| % (number) Panic disorder | 54 (15) | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | <0.001** |
| % (number) GAD | 50 (14) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | <0.001** |
| % (number) OCD | 11 (3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | <0.001** |
| On antidepressant medication | ||||
| % (number) | 58 (16) | 5 (4) | 0 (0) | <0.001** |
| Posttraumatic Check List | ||||
| Mean (SD) | ||||
| Total score (range) | 56 (9.6) (44–72) | 22 (4.8) (17–36) | NA | <0.001* |
| Re-experiencing | 16.1 (4.6) | 6.1 (1.4) | NA | <0.001* |
| Avoidance/numbing | 20.3 (5.8) | 8.7 (2.5) | NA | <0.001* |
| Hyperarousal | 17.1 (4.3) | 7.0 (2.3) | NA | <0.001* |
| Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS) | ||||
| % Depression (moderate-extreme) | 78 | 1 | NA | <0.001** |
| % Anxiety (moderate-extreme) | 89 | 1 | NA | <0.001** |
| % Stress (moderate-extreme) | 75 | 1 | NA | <0.001** |
| Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 47 (13.5) | 75 (12.0) | NA | <0.001* |
| Social Adjustment Scale (SAS) | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 2.5 (0.4) | 1.7 (0.3) | NA | <0.001* |
| Traumatic Exposure Severity Scale (TESS) | ||||
| Mean number of exposures (SD) | 23.6 (15.4) | 15.8 (10.9) | NA | 0.03* |
| Mean distress (SD) | 6.5 (2.7) | 5.3 (2.5) | NA | NS |
| Life Events Scale | ||||
| Mean number (last 5 years) (SD) | 14.1 (5.9) | 8.4 (4.7) | NA | <0.001* |
| Mean number (last 6 months) (SD) | 6.4 (3.9) | 3.5 (2.7) | NA | 0.01* |
| Mean difficulty (last 5 years) (SD) | 2.2 (1.4) | 2.1 (0.7) | NA | NS |
| Anxiety on test day | ||||
| Mean visual Analog Scale (0–5) (SD) | 2.5 (1.7) | 1.0 (1.2) | NA | <0.001* |
NS, not significant.
*Significant ANOVA.
**Significant chi-square test.