Skip to main content
Log in

The Relationship Between Quality of Life and Psychiatric Impairment for a Taiwanese Community Post-Earthquake

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between quality of life and psychiatric impairment in a Taiwanese community located near the epicenter of the 1999 earthquake, as assessed four to six months after the natural catastrophe. Trained assistants interviewed the 4223 respondents using the disaster-related psychological screening test (DRPST), an instrument specifically designed and validated by senior psychiatrists for assessment of psychiatric impairment after natural catastrophe. Additionally, the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to evaluate quality of life. The collected results were analyzed using Windows SPSS 10.0 software. Psychiatric impairment rated moderate to severe was assessed for 1448 (34.3%) of the responding residents. The 4223 respondents were divided into 4 psychiatric-impairment groups based on DPRST score: healthy (n = 952); mild impairment (n = 1823); moderate impairment (n = 1126); and, severe impairment (n = 322). The four groups were compared for a number of salient factors, including gender, age, current marital status and psychiatric-impairment score, to determine impact on quality of life. Respondents assessed as psychiatrically impaired tended to be older, female, divorced/widowed, and less educated, and they were more likely to have experienced major familial financial loss as an immediate consequence of the earthquake. Further, the greater the severity of the psychiatric impairment, the lower the scores for quality of life, for both the physical and mental aspects of this important general indicator.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Breslau N, Davis CC, Andreski P, Peterson E. Traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder in an urban population of young adults. Arch Gen Psychiatr 1991; 48: 216-222.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Wang X, Gao L, Shinfuku N, et al. Longitudinal study of earthquake-related PTSD in a randomly selected community sample in North China. Am J Psychiatr 2000; 57: 1260-1266.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Rubonis AV, Bickman L. Psychological impairment in the wake of disaster: The disaster-psychopathology relationship. Psychol Bull 1991; 109(3): 384-399.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chou FHC, Su TTP, Ou-Yang WC, et al. Establishment of a disaster-related psychological screening test. Aust NZ J Psychiat 2003; 37(1): 97-103.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Maj M, Starace F, Crepet P, et al. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among subjects exposed to a natural disaster. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1989; 79: 544-549.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Goenjian AK, Steinberg AM, Najarian LM, et al. Prospective study of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive reactions after earthquake and political violence. Am J Psychiatr 2000; 157(6): 911-916.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Green BL, Lindy JD, Grace MC, Leonard AC. Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and diagnostic comorbidity in a disaster sample. J Nerv Ment Dis 1992; 180(12): 760-766.

    Google Scholar 

  8. McFarlane AC, Papay P. Multiple diagnoses in posttraumatic stress disorder in the victims of a natural disaster. J Nerv Ment Dis 1992; 180(8): 498-504.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Michaels AJ, Michaels CE, Moon CH, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder after injury: Impact on general health outcome and early risk assessment. J Trauma-Injury Infect Crit Care 1999; 47(3): 460-467.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ursano RJ, Kao T, Fullerton CS. PTSD and meaning: Structuring human chaos. J Nerv Ment Dis 1992; 180: 756-759.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Wang X, Gao L, Zhang H, et al. Post-earthquake quality of life and psychological well-being: Longitudinal evaluation in a rural community sample in northern China. Psychiatr Clin Neurosci 2000; 54(4): 427-433.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hays RD, Hayashi T, Carson S, Ware JE. User's guide for the Multitrait Analysis Program (MAP). Santa Monica, California: Rand, A Rand Note, N-2786-RC 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Fuh JL, Wang SJ, Lu SR, et al. Psychometric evaluation of a Chinese (Taiwanese) version of the SF-36 health survey amongst middle-aged women from a rural community. Qual Life Res 2000; 9: 675-683.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Parasuraman S. The impact of the 1993 Latur-Osmanabad (Maharashtra) earthquake on lives, livelihoods and property. Disasters 1995; 19(2): 156-169.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Salman S, Sengul AM, Salman F, et al. Influence of earthquake on the quality of life of patients with type 1 diabetes. Psychiatr Clin Neurosci 2001; 55(2): 165.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Schelling G, Stoll C, Haller M, et al. Health-related quality of life and posttraumatic stress disorder in survivors of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Intens Care Med 1998; 26: 651-659.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Malik ML, Connor KM, Sutherland SM, et al. Quality of life and posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot study assessing changes in SF-36 scores before and after treatment in a placebo-controlled trial of fluoxetine. J Traum Stress 1999; 12: 387-393.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Chou FHC, Chou P, Su TPT, et al. Survey of quality of life and related risk factors for a Taiwanese village population 21 months after an earthquake (in press).

  19. Tiemens BG, Ormel J, Simon GE. Occurrence, recognition, and outcome of psychological disorders in primary care. Am J Psychiatr 1996; 153: 636-644.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Cass AR, Volk RJ, Nease DE. Health-related quality of life in primary care patients with recognized and unrecognized mood and anxiety disorders. Int J Psychiatr Med 1999; 29(3): 293-309.

    Google Scholar 

  21. McHorney CA, Ware Jr JE, Raczek AE. The MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36): II. Psychometric and clinical tests of validity in measuring physical and mental health constructs. Med Care 1993; 31(3): 247-263.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chou, FC., Chou, P., Lin, C. et al. The Relationship Between Quality of Life and Psychiatric Impairment for a Taiwanese Community Post-Earthquake. Qual Life Res 13, 1089–1097 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:QURE.0000031337.73269.64

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:QURE.0000031337.73269.64

Navigation