Obiective: : Post Traumatic Stress Psychopathology (PTSP) was assessed among village’s inhabitants 8 years after the 1996 Versilia flooding in Italy. Methods: The sample was formed by 61 subjects. The Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) was used to evaluate PTSP. Gender and two class of age (young and old subjects) were considered as demographic characteristics. Results: No significant differences resulted on DTS total and factor scores between female and male subjects. On the contrary, significant differences emerged on Hyperarousal Total and Hyperarousal Frequency between young and old subjects. People considered having enough symptoms for full Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were 45,9% (N=28), while 35,8% (N=20) had subthreshold PTSD, and 21,3% (N=13) had no PTSD. In the full PTSD subgroup old subject had a mean Hyperarousal Frequency significantly higher than young subjects, while in the subthreshold PTSD subgroup old subjects have a mean score on Intrusion Frequency, Intrusion Severity, Total Intrusion, Total Frequency and Total score significantly higher than young subjects. Conclusion: This study confirms that the traumatic impact of a flooding on a population hit some years before is not time-limited, showing the persistence of a high level of PTSP 8 years later. Old subjects showed on Hyperarousal Total and Hyperarousal Frequency within the whole sample, on Hyperarousal Frequency within the full PTSD subgroup, and on all Intrusion clusters, Total Frequency and Total score in the subthreshold PTSD subgroup, significantly higher scores than young subjects. Further specific research is needed in the elderly, in order to facilitate a better understanding of PTSP that is present in this unique population.
Post Traumatic Stress Psychopathology 8 years after a flooding in Italy
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