Citation

Shi W, Hall BJ. Int. J. Public Health 2022; 67: e1605380.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.3389/ijph.2022.1605380

PMID

36686386

PMCID

PMC9845259

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We used a latent class growth model to identify distinct PTSS trajectories and correlates of these trajectories among young adults who experienced Typhoon Hato, the strongest storm to strike China in the last 50 years.

METHODS: A longitudinal survey (three-waves) was conducted to explore the mental health status and its correlates among young adults exposed to the typhoon. Data from 362 participants were analyzed via a latent class growth model and multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS: Three distinct classes of PTSS trajectories were identified, including: "resilience" (86.46%), "recovery" (9.12%), and "deterioration" (4.42%). The higher levels of direct typhoon exposure, media use, and posttraumatic growth significantly predicted the higher likelihood of participants being in the "recovery'' class. In addition, more social support significantly predicted the higher possibility of being in the "resilience" class. Finally, more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms significantly predicted the higher likelihood of being in the "deterioration" class.

CONCLUSION: Further research should develop interventions to enhance protective factors (e.g., posttraumatic growth, media use), decrease risk factors (e.g., depressive and anxiety symptoms), and thereby prevent PTSS.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Young Adult; resilience; Anxiety; recovery; young adults; typhoon; *Cyclonic Storms; *Problem Behavior; *Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology/psychology; deterioration; Longitudinal Studies; post-traumatic stress symptoms trajectories