Psychiatric Disorders and Functional Impairment Among Disaster Victims After Exposure to a Natural Disaster: a Population Based Study

Objective: We aimed to examine psychiatric morbidity and functional impairment after a natural disaster.

Method: Norwegian tourists who survived the 2004 tsunami in Khao Lak (n = 63), a severely affected area in Thailand, were interviewed in person 2.5 years after the disaster. The examination included the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the PTSD module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders, the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), the Global Assessment of Functioning function score (GAF-F), and questions covering background characteristics and disaster exposure.

Results: The most prevalent disorders were specific phobia (30.2%), agoraphobia (17.5%), social anxiety disorder (11.1%), PTSD (11.1%), major depressive disorder (MDD, 11.1%), and dysthymic disorder (DD, 11.1%). In 24 of the 40 respondents with a current psychiatric disorder, symptoms had originated after the tsunami. The post-tsunami 2.5 year incidence of PTSD and MDD was 36.5% and 28.6%, respectively. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the depressive disorders (MDD and DD) and PTSD were associated with self-reported functional impairment (WSAS), and the depressive disorders were associated with clinician assessed functional impairment (GAF-F).

Limitations: Small sample size and high education may limit the generalizability of the results.

Conclusions: Depression and anxiety disorders were common among disaster victims 2.5 years after the 2004 tsunami. Psychiatric disorders other than PTSD, especially depressive disorders, are of clinical importance when considering long-term mental health effect of disasters.