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3 results

  • Chapter 11 - Memoirs of the Spitak Earthquake

  • Edited by Armen Goenjian, Alan Steinberg, Robert Pynoos
  • Book:
    Lessons Learned in Disaster Mental Health
    Published online:
    20 May 2022
    Print publication:
    26 May 2022, pp 179-192

  • Summary

    This chapter comprises three segments. The first includes excerpts from Dr. Ida Karayan’s diaries written during her service tours in the earthquake zone. Her diaries detail the daily challenges and rewards of working with children and teachers during the acute aftermath and over time. She offers, with absolute candor, insight into the emotional impact of her work. The poignant stories of Sahak and Gagik are remarkable examples of how a caring and competent therapist can help deep wounds heal. The second segment includes memories of the lead psychotherapist of the Spitak clinic, Ms. Pavagan Petrosyan. Before the earthquake, Ms. Petrosyan was an elementary school principal, living an idyllic life with her family. The earthquake killed her husband and destroyed their house. After a long, tortuous journey to Moscow and Tiblisi, she returned to Spitak and enrolled in the Psychiatric Outreach Program, and went on to become a prominent, sought-after psychotherapist. This is an inspirational story of a survivor who came out of her dark hole to help others in despair. The third segment provides memories of Liana Grigorian, a housewife from Spitak, who was nine years old during the earthquake. She describes her terrifying experiences of the earthquake when she was trapped by a collapsed wall and gives voice to current psychological scars that remain as vestiges from the earthquake.

  • 25-year follow-up of treated and not-treated adolescents after the Spitak earthquake: course and predictors of PTSD and depression

  • Armen K. Goenjian, Alan M. Steinberg, David Walling, Sheryl Bishop, Ida Karayan, Robert Pynoos
  • Journal:
    Psychological Medicine / Volume 51 / Issue 6 / April 2021
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    14 January 2020, pp. 976-988
    • Article
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  • Background

    There is a paucity of long-term prospective disaster studies of the psychological sequelae among survivors.

    Methods

    At 1½ and 25 years after the Spitak earthquake, 142 early adolescents from two cities were assessed: Gumri (moderate–severe exposure) and Spitak (very severe exposure). The Gumri group included treated and not-treated subjects, while the Spitak group included not-treated subjects. Instruments included: DSM-III-R PTSD-Reaction Index (PTSD-RI); DSM-5 PTSD-Checklist (PCL); Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS); and Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D).

    Results

    (1) Between 1½ and 25 years, PTSD rates and mean scores decreased significantly in the three groups (over 50%). However, at 25 years 9.1–22.4% met DSM-5 PTSD criteria. (2) At 1½ years, the Spitak group had higher PTSD-RI (p < 0.001) and DSRS scores (p < 0.001) compared to the Gumri-not-treated group. At 25 years, the Spitak group that had experienced fewer post-earthquake adversities (p < 0.03), had a greater decrease in PTSD-RI scores (p < 0.02), and lower CES-D scores (p < 0.01). (3) Before treatment, PTSD-RI and DSRS scores did not differ between the Gumri-treated and not-treated groups. At 25-years, the Gumri-treated group showed a greater decrease in PTSD-RI scores (p < 0.03), and lower mean PTSD-RI (p < 0.02), PCL (p < 0.02), and CES-D (p < 0.01) scores. (4) Predictors of PTSD symptom severity at 25-years included: home destruction, treatment, social support, post-earthquake adversities, and chronic medical illnesses.

    Conclusion

    Post-disaster PTSD and depressive symptoms can persist for decades. Trauma-focused treatment, alleviation of post-disaster adversities, improving the social ecology, and monitoring for chronic medical illnesses are essential components of recovery programs.