Factors associated with post-traumatic stress disorder among bereaved family members and surviving students two and half years after the Sewol ferry accident in South Korea

BACKGROUND

The Sewol ferry accident was a human-made disaster that caused the death of 250 high school students on board the ferry. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most serious mental health sequela among those exposed to disasters. Therefore this study assessed the PTSD symptoms among bereaved family members and surviving students after the disaster, along with associated risk factors.

METHODS

Bereaved family members (N = 80) and surviving students (N = 48) of the disaster were assessed by self-reported questionnaires 2.5 years after the disaster. Sociodemographic and psychological variables (i.e., PTSD, depression, embitterment, rumination, and others) were obtained. Multivariable Poisson regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors associated with PTSD symptoms.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven (83.8%) of the bereaved family members and three (6.3%) of the surviving students were suffering from probable PTSD. Depression and embitterment were associated with PTSD symptoms in both groups. Social support and meaning in life were related to PTSD symptoms only in the surviving students, while intrusive rumination and posttraumatic growth were related to PTSD symptoms only in the bereaved family members.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings may help identify high-risk groups for PTSD and aid the development of psychological interventions to ameliorate PTSD symptoms of those affected by disasters.

Factors Associated with Complicated Grief in Students Who Survived the Sewol Ferry Disaster in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

The Sewol ferry disaster caused shock and grief in South Korea. The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with symptoms of complicated grief (CG) among the surviving students 20 months after that disaster.

METHODS

This study was conducted using a cross-sectional design and a sample of 57 students who survived the Sewol ferry disaster. Data were collected using the following instruments: Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the Lifetime Incidence of Traumatic Events-Child, the Child Report of Post-Traumatic Symptoms (CROPS), KIDSCREEN-27, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-III, the Peri-traumatic Dissociation-Post-traumatic Negative Beliefs-Post-traumatic Social Support scale, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A generalized linear model using a log link and Poisson distribution was performed to identify factors associated with symptoms of CG.

RESULTS

The mean score on the ICG was 15.57 (standard deviation: 12.72). Being born in 1999, a higher score on the CROPS and a lower score in autonomy and relationship with parents on the KIDSCREEN-27 were related to higher levels of CG.

CONCLUSION

Twenty months after the Sewol ferry disaster, 24.5% of surviving students were suffering from CG. This study uncovered a vulnerable population of bereaved children at high risk for CG.