TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - The role of peri-traumatic stress and disruption distress in predicting post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following exposure to a natural disaster
JO  - BJPsych open
A1  - Boden, Joseph M.
A1  - Fergusson, David M.
A1  - Horwood, L. John
A1  - Mulder, Roger T.
SP  - 81
EP  - 86
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
N2  - BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the contribution of specific disaster-related experiences to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. AIMS: To examine the roles of peri-traumatic stress and distress due to lingering disaster-related disruption in explaining linkages between disaster exposure and PTSD symptoms among a cohort exposed to the 2010-2011 Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes. <br><br>METHOD: Structural equation models were fitted to data obtained from the Christchurch Health and Development Study at age 35 (n=495), 20-24 months following the onset of the disaster. Measures included: earthquake exposure, peri-traumatic stress, disruption distress and PTSD symptoms. <br><br>RESULTS: The associations between earthquake exposure and PTSD symptoms were explained largely by the experience of peri-traumatic stress during the earthquakes (β=0.189, P<0.0001) and disruption distress following the earthquakes (β=0.105, P<0.0001). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the importance of minimising post-event disruption distress following exposure to a natural disaster. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None. COPYRIGHT AND USAGE: © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2056-4724
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjpo.bp.115.001180
ID  - ref1
ER  -