@article{ref1,
title="Prevalence and correlates of mental health difficulties following the Beirut port explosion: the roles of mentalizing and resilience",
journal="Psychological trauma: theory, research, practice, and policy",
year="2022",
author="Tohme, Pia and Grey, Ian and El-Tawil, Maria Theresa and El Maouch, Mohamad and Abi-Habib, Rudy",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: Research has consistently highlighted an increased prevalence of mental health problems, such posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, following both man-made and natural disasters. Mentalizing and resilience have been previously identified as potential protective factors against the onset of mental health difficulties following such events. <br><br>METHOD: This study first identified the prevalence of PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, and stress and subsequently assessed mentalizing abilities and resilience as predictors of PTSD symptomatology in a sample of 521 Lebanese participants following the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020. <br><br>RESULTS: Findings were consistent with existing literature highlighting elevated rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety subsequent to man-made disasters, with higher rates of mental health symptoms observed among women, those with a preexisting diagnosis of psychiatric disorder (1.5 times more likely to meet the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 [PCL-5] cutoff score), and those who had to move houses (over 2 times more likely to meet PCL-5 cutoff) as a consequence of the explosion. Higher mentalizing capacities were positively correlated with higher resilience scores and lower indices of mental health difficulties. Each unit increase in resilience scores was associated with a 3% reduction in meeting PCL-5 cutoff, and poorer mentalizing abilities was associated with a 2-fold increase in the risk of meeting PCL-5 cutoff. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Presence of a previous psychiatric diagnosis, having to move houses, lower mentalizing capacities, and lower resilience scores were found to predict elevated PCL-5 scores. <br><br>FINDINGS are discussed within the framework of recommendations for interventions targeting people affected by traumatic events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1942-9681",
doi="10.1037/tra0001328",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0001328"
}