Citation

Ferrando L, Galea S, Sainz Cortón E, Mingote C, García Camba E, Fernandez Líria A, Gabriel R. Eur. Psychiatry 2011; 26(8): 513-517.

Affiliation

Instituto IAP, Serrano 178, 28002 Madrid, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2010.07.009

PMID

20943349

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To document long-term prevalence trends and changes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Current Major Depression (MD), Agoraphobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Panic Disorder, in two groups of people with different levels of exposure to a massive terrorist attack. METHODS: Cohort study. Two random samples of people exposed to a terrorist attack, the injured (n=127) and community residents (n=485) were followed and assessed, 2 and 18 months after the event. RESULTS: Among the injured, 2 and 18 months after the attack, the prevalences were respectively, PTSD: 44.1% and 34%, MD: 31.5% and 23.7%, Agoraphobia: 23.8% and 20.7%, GAD: 13.4% and 12.4% and Panic Disorder: 9.4% and 11.3%. The corresponding figures among residents were PTSD: 12.3% and 3.5%, MD: 8.5% and 5.4%, Agoraphobia: 10.5% and 8.7%, GAD: 8.6%, and 8.2% and Panic Disorder 2.1% and 2.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Two months after the event, the prevalence of mental disorders among both injured and residents was higher than expected levels at baseline conditions. Eighteen months after the event, psychopathological conditions did not change significantly among the injured but returned to the expected baseline rates among community residents.

Language: en