Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among children and adolescents after earthquake disasters: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to developing psychological disorders after natural disasters. Some studies report the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression after earthquakes; however, there is a lack of systematic evaluation. Therefore, we aimed to identify published literature and estimate the prevalence of PTSD and depression among children and adolescents after earthquakes.

METHODS

Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for studies published up to August 30th 2022. Studies were included if the population was 20 years old or younger, if prevalence was reported for at least PTSD or depression, and if a cross-sectional or longitudinal design was utilized. A random-effects model was used to pool the prevalence data. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed. All analyses were conducted in R (Version 4.2.2).

RESULTS

Overall, 96 studies were included. Ninety-four investigated PTSD, while 34 studies reported on depression. The pooled PTSD prevalence among children and adolescents was 26.49 % (95% CI; 22.39 %-30.80 %), and for depression, 32.35 % (95% CI; 25.67 %-39.42 %). PTSD prevalence varied significantly between assessment methods, countries, and earthquake events. The highest PTSD prevalence was estimated after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. The depression prevalence showed significant differences based on participants' age and assessment methods.

LIMITATIONS: The reliance on self-report measures, high heterogeneity, and the inability to stratify by sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Both prevalences are above what would be expected in unexposed populations. These relatively high rates highlight the need for measures to effectively provide psychological care for traumatized children and adolescents after earthquake disasters.