Senior onderzoeker Rampen en Milieudreigingen
Publicatie
Publicatie datum
Prevalence of symptoms in a case-control study before and after a disaster.
Kerssens, J.J., Yzermans, C.J., Donker, G.A. Prevalence of symptoms in a case-control study before and after a disaster. European Journal of Public Health: 2004, 14(4 Suppl.), 27
Background: Individuals exposed to trauma report poorer health status and more physical symptoms
than do similar non-exposed individuals while it is generally assumed that posttraumatic
psychological symptoms precede physical symptoms. Aim: This study’s objective is to explore the
prevalence of health symptoms after a man made disaster: the explosion of a firework depot in a
residential area in Enschede, the Netherlands. Ten percent of the victims had to be relocated
because their houses were destroyed. Methods: Design: Pre-disaster baseline symptoms compared with post-disaster symptoms by monitoring in general practice using medical records of 9392 victims and 7392 controls.
Outcome measures: Psychological symptoms and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) were registered using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC). Prevalence rates in four weeks periods were calculated as the number of individuals presenting symptoms divided by the numbers at risk, taking into account the amount of person-time during which events were counted as well as the time elapsed before health symptoms were presented. Results: Prevalence rates for pre-disaster psychological symptoms were 26 per 1000 per 4 weeks for both victims and controls.
Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 181 for victims and than gradually
decreased to 41 in de last 4 weeks of the study-period. Relocated victims showed much higher
prevalence rates for psychological symptoms than non-relocated victims. Prevalence rates for MUPS were 77 per 1000 per 4 weeks for victims and 67 for controls. Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 84 for victims but rapidly fell back to the pre-disaster rate. However, relocated victims showed slowly increasing post-disaster rates for MUPS. Post-disaster psychological symptoms preceded MUPS in 50% of the victims presenting both symptoms, compared to 32% in the period before the explosion (p< .001). Conclusions: Immediately after the disaster a lot of psychological problems and physical symptoms were presented to general practitioners but even two and a half years later an excess of psychological symptoms wasobserved. Furthermore, individuals presenting psychological symptoms had an increased risk for developing medically unexplained physical symptoms.
than do similar non-exposed individuals while it is generally assumed that posttraumatic
psychological symptoms precede physical symptoms. Aim: This study’s objective is to explore the
prevalence of health symptoms after a man made disaster: the explosion of a firework depot in a
residential area in Enschede, the Netherlands. Ten percent of the victims had to be relocated
because their houses were destroyed. Methods: Design: Pre-disaster baseline symptoms compared with post-disaster symptoms by monitoring in general practice using medical records of 9392 victims and 7392 controls.
Outcome measures: Psychological symptoms and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) were registered using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC). Prevalence rates in four weeks periods were calculated as the number of individuals presenting symptoms divided by the numbers at risk, taking into account the amount of person-time during which events were counted as well as the time elapsed before health symptoms were presented. Results: Prevalence rates for pre-disaster psychological symptoms were 26 per 1000 per 4 weeks for both victims and controls.
Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 181 for victims and than gradually
decreased to 41 in de last 4 weeks of the study-period. Relocated victims showed much higher
prevalence rates for psychological symptoms than non-relocated victims. Prevalence rates for MUPS were 77 per 1000 per 4 weeks for victims and 67 for controls. Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 84 for victims but rapidly fell back to the pre-disaster rate. However, relocated victims showed slowly increasing post-disaster rates for MUPS. Post-disaster psychological symptoms preceded MUPS in 50% of the victims presenting both symptoms, compared to 32% in the period before the explosion (p< .001). Conclusions: Immediately after the disaster a lot of psychological problems and physical symptoms were presented to general practitioners but even two and a half years later an excess of psychological symptoms wasobserved. Furthermore, individuals presenting psychological symptoms had an increased risk for developing medically unexplained physical symptoms.
Background: Individuals exposed to trauma report poorer health status and more physical symptoms
than do similar non-exposed individuals while it is generally assumed that posttraumatic
psychological symptoms precede physical symptoms. Aim: This study’s objective is to explore the
prevalence of health symptoms after a man made disaster: the explosion of a firework depot in a
residential area in Enschede, the Netherlands. Ten percent of the victims had to be relocated
because their houses were destroyed. Methods: Design: Pre-disaster baseline symptoms compared with post-disaster symptoms by monitoring in general practice using medical records of 9392 victims and 7392 controls.
Outcome measures: Psychological symptoms and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) were registered using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC). Prevalence rates in four weeks periods were calculated as the number of individuals presenting symptoms divided by the numbers at risk, taking into account the amount of person-time during which events were counted as well as the time elapsed before health symptoms were presented. Results: Prevalence rates for pre-disaster psychological symptoms were 26 per 1000 per 4 weeks for both victims and controls.
Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 181 for victims and than gradually
decreased to 41 in de last 4 weeks of the study-period. Relocated victims showed much higher
prevalence rates for psychological symptoms than non-relocated victims. Prevalence rates for MUPS were 77 per 1000 per 4 weeks for victims and 67 for controls. Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 84 for victims but rapidly fell back to the pre-disaster rate. However, relocated victims showed slowly increasing post-disaster rates for MUPS. Post-disaster psychological symptoms preceded MUPS in 50% of the victims presenting both symptoms, compared to 32% in the period before the explosion (p< .001). Conclusions: Immediately after the disaster a lot of psychological problems and physical symptoms were presented to general practitioners but even two and a half years later an excess of psychological symptoms wasobserved. Furthermore, individuals presenting psychological symptoms had an increased risk for developing medically unexplained physical symptoms.
than do similar non-exposed individuals while it is generally assumed that posttraumatic
psychological symptoms precede physical symptoms. Aim: This study’s objective is to explore the
prevalence of health symptoms after a man made disaster: the explosion of a firework depot in a
residential area in Enschede, the Netherlands. Ten percent of the victims had to be relocated
because their houses were destroyed. Methods: Design: Pre-disaster baseline symptoms compared with post-disaster symptoms by monitoring in general practice using medical records of 9392 victims and 7392 controls.
Outcome measures: Psychological symptoms and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) were registered using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC). Prevalence rates in four weeks periods were calculated as the number of individuals presenting symptoms divided by the numbers at risk, taking into account the amount of person-time during which events were counted as well as the time elapsed before health symptoms were presented. Results: Prevalence rates for pre-disaster psychological symptoms were 26 per 1000 per 4 weeks for both victims and controls.
Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 181 for victims and than gradually
decreased to 41 in de last 4 weeks of the study-period. Relocated victims showed much higher
prevalence rates for psychological symptoms than non-relocated victims. Prevalence rates for MUPS were 77 per 1000 per 4 weeks for victims and 67 for controls. Immediately after the disaster the prevalence rate increased to 84 for victims but rapidly fell back to the pre-disaster rate. However, relocated victims showed slowly increasing post-disaster rates for MUPS. Post-disaster psychological symptoms preceded MUPS in 50% of the victims presenting both symptoms, compared to 32% in the period before the explosion (p< .001). Conclusions: Immediately after the disaster a lot of psychological problems and physical symptoms were presented to general practitioners but even two and a half years later an excess of psychological symptoms wasobserved. Furthermore, individuals presenting psychological symptoms had an increased risk for developing medically unexplained physical symptoms.
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