台灣地區於民國八十八年九月二十一日發生芮氏規模七點三級的強烈地震(921大地震)，此次921大地震以台中縣、南投縣全縣受創甚深，民眾生命、身體及財產蒙受重大損失。地震是本世紀以來常見的最嚴重的天災，它的影響是長遠的。地震所產生的心理問題常見的有焦慮、失眠、作惡夢、解離症狀、創傷後壓力症狀群(PTSD)及較多的身體症狀等。本研究研究對象來自南投縣損失相當嚴重的兩個村，對18歲以上之成人人口隨機抽樣出300人為本研究之最終樣本。測驗工具包括：基本資料及其他多種測驗工具。本研究之目的為：(1)探討921地震一年後嚴重災區民眾之精神疾病，尤其是PTSD及PTSS(Subthreshold of PTSD)之盛行率；(2)探討罹患這些精神疾病之危險因子(Risk factors)；(3)探討與PTSD合併(Comorbidity)存在之精神疾病類型及其百分比；(4)探討地震災民之失能(Disability)、社會支持，心理調適之彈性度、自殺意念及自殺行為之狀況。研究結果顯示有10.3%罹患PTSD，19.0%罹患幾乎達到PT'SD診斷之PTSS。而且PTSD組與PTSS組在許多變項非常類似，這兩組與對照組比較有顯著較多之女性、綜合創傷指數、廣泛性焦慮症、第一軸之精神科診斷、工作及社會功能之障礙及身體之問題。與PTSS比較，PTSD有顯著較多之重度憂鬱症，與創傷有關之喪失生命及對抗壓能力有障礙。在921地震10個月後仍有為數眾多之災民罹患PTSD及其他精神疾病，我們將會繼續追蹤以了解其精神疾病之變化。
Survivors of the September 1999 earthquake in central Taiwan were interviewed l0 months after the disaster to assess the posttraumatic impact of the earthquake on psychiatric health and psychosocial functioning. Methods: Subjects (n=252) were randomly selected from two rural communities located near the epicenter of the earthquake. Information obtained in the interview included: demographics and other scales. Three diagnostic groups were identified with regard to trauma-related symptoms (full posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), partial PTSD (PTSS), and controls (non-PTSD/PTSS)), prevalence rates were calculated, and bivariate comparisons were performed on each of the variables. Results: The prevalence rate for PTSD was 10.3% (n=26) and 19.0% for PTSS (n=48). The PTSD and PTSS groups were very similar and differed significantly from controls on most variables, with greater likelihood of the following: female gender; total trauma exposure; generalized anxiety disorder; suicidality; any axis I disorder; disability (work, social, leisure); and impaired wellbeing. Few differences were observed between the PTSD and PTSS groups, although greater likelihood for major depression, trauma-related loss of life, and impaired stress vulnerability were noted in the PTSD group. Conclusions: PTSD and partial PTSD are commonly observed following earthquake trauma and may persist for many months.
