Posttraumatic stress disorder and its predictors in Kathmandu Valley residents after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake

Abstract

After about six months from the 2015 Nepal Earthquake (Mw7.8, 25 April 2015), we conducted a survey to assess the level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in disaster victims of Kathmandu Valley. Post-disaster surveys in many disaster-hit areas in the world indicate that the victims and affected people live a fearful life for certain period, so in this study we attempt to assess the state of mental health of the 2015 Nepal Earthquake victims in relatively heavy-hit areas of the Kathmandu Valley. We use a 17-item instrument for assessing PTSD containing three main types of PTSD symptoms: re-experiencing (5 items), avoidance (7 items), and hyperarousal symptoms (5 items). The survey results indicate that there was certain level of PTSD in the Kathmandu residents, and it can be associated not only with house damage and fatal loss but also the house repair work and livelihood revival. So, it is considered that delays in recovery and reconstruction may also lead to prevalence of PTSD.