Associations Between the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the Sleep and Mental Health of Japanese People: A 3-Wave Repeated Survey

Increase in short-term and long-term stress-associated mental illness after Jiji earthquake in Taiwan: A twenty-year longitudinal population-based cohort study (1999-2019)

BACKGROUND

Earthquakes have caused profound physical and mental health impacts in human history. The Jiji earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale, occurred on 21 September 1999 in Taiwan. A close follow-up on the mental health status of affected adults after major natural disasters to construct the short-term and long-term risk and prevalence of stress-associated mental illnesses has not been performed by using the nationwide health databases.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study included 468,804 adults affected by Jiji earthquake spanning from 2000 to 2019 who were matched at a 1:4 ratio with unaffected individuals based on age and sex (n = 1,875,216). Employing a subdistribution hazard regression analysis, we assessed the incidence of sleep, anxiety, and depressive disorders after Jiji earthquake. Corrections for multiple comparisons were carried out using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure.

RESULTS

Affected adults experienced an increased incidence of short-term (approximately twice) stress-associated psychiatric disorders. The risk of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is significantly higher in the affected adults (40-64 years: aSHR: 92.0; ≥65 years: aSHR: 96.7, p < 0.0001). Middle-aged (aged 40-64 years) male adults presented with significantly more short-term (< one year) and long-term (up to 20 years) stress-related mental illnesses, i.e., insomnia, anxiety, and depressive disorders, than individuals in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

An earthquake has significant short and long-term effects on sleep quality, anxiety, and depressive disorders in affected adults. Optimal short and long-term close monitoring is needed to deploy medical resources and socioeconomic support to relieve mental stress burdens.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Mental Health Status and Sleep Patterns of Children Who Experienced the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake: Data From the Earthquake Region

BACKGROUND

The psychological conditions of children exposed to earthquakes, such as somatization, obsessive-compulsive, hostility, and paranoid thought, have not been adequately studied.

AIM

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between the mental states and sleep patterns of children who experienced the Kahramanmaraş earthquake.

METHODS

This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, and relational study that included 867 children from 11 provinces of Turkey affected by the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaraş on February 6th. The Child Follow-up Form, Mental Symptom Screening Scale, and Child Sleep Habits Scale were used to collect data.

RESULTS

The psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, somatization, anger-hostility, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychotic symptoms, and other issues) experienced by children after the earthquake explained 96.9% of their sleep disturbance. Some of the demographic characteristics, such as age, the status of experiencing loss in the earthquake, the survival status of their mother and father, the survival status of their siblings, the total number of losses after the earthquake, the total number of losses in the nuclear family, total hours spent under the rubble, the hours children waited for their father, mother, and siblings to come out of the rubble, accounted for 77.9% of the mental symptoms (SCL-90).

CONCLUSIONS

These results showed the importance of early recognition and treatment of sleep disturbances to prevent possible psychiatric disorders after children have been exposed to natural disasters. It is of great importance to evaluate the mental states of children after the earthquake and to apply appropriate psychiatric interventions.

Sleep quality and mental health differences following Syria-Turkey earthquakes: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

This study explores the lasting mental health impact of the Syria-Turkey earthquakes in 2023 on a population affected by conflict and trauma. It analyzes pre- and post-event mental health and sleep quality differences, identifying predictors of outcomes.

AIMS

Studying the 2023 Syria-Turkey earthquakes' enduring mental health impact on conflict-affected individuals, this research informs better support and interventions for disaster survivors.

METHODS

This longitudinal, cross-sectional study examined the enduring mental health impact of the Syria-Turkey earthquakes. The present study involved N = 1,413 Syrian survivors, aged 18 years or older, who actively participated by contributing both pre- and post-earthquake data. A meticulously designed digital questionnaire with established metrics assessed sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and anxiety levels. Stratification variables (age, gender, education, marital status) were used for subgroup analysis. Arabic versions of PHQ-9, PSQI, and GAD-2 proved reliable for measuring depression, sleep quality, and anxiety.

RESULTS

The majority of participants were female (73.6%) with tertiary education (83.3%). Post-earthquake, a higher percentage reported poor sleep quality (67.7% vs. 59.7%, p < .001) and increased prevalence of MDE (66.1% vs. 56%, p < .001). GAD did not differ significantly. Post-earthquake, women had a higher likelihood of poor sleep quality (OR: 1.58, 95% CI [1.19, 2.10], p < .001) and MDE (OR: 1.55, 95% CI [1.18 to 2.04], p = .003). Predictors varied before and after earthquakes; age and education were significant predictors of poor sleep quality, MDE, and GAD.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals higher rates of poor sleep quality and major depressive episodes among earthquake-affected individuals, especially women. Age, education, and gender contribute to these outcomes. Targeted interventions and comprehensive mental health support are crucial for post-earthquake recovery.

The impact of catastrophic events on the sex ratio at birth: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The impact of maternal stress on birth outcomes is well established in the scientific research. The sex ratio at birth (SRB), namely the ratio of male to female live births, shows significant alteration when mothers experience acute stress conditions, as proposed by the Trivers-Willard Hypothesis. We aimed to synthetize the literature on the relationship between two exogenous and catastrophic stressful events (natural disasters and epidemics) and SRB.

METHODS

A systematic search was run in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, until March 9, 2023. The search produced 1336 articles and 25 articles met the inclusion criteria. We found seven case-control studies and 18 observational studies. Most of studies investigated the impact of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Only seven studies examined the effect of epidemics or pandemics.

RESULTS

The results of the studies seem inconsistent, as 16 studies found a decline in SRB, three found a rise, four did not record any change and two studies gave contradictory results. The period and population analyzed, the source of information, the method of variance analysis in the SRB, and the failure to assess confounding variables may have influenced the incongruence of the results.

CONCLUSION

Our findings contribute to improve the knowledge about the relationship between socio-ecological factors and SRB. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms by which this relationship impacts public health, in particular the health of pregnant women and their newborn, through an accurate and consistent methodology that also includes confounding factors.

Psychological status of infertile men during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in China: a cross-sectional investigation

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has had a widespread and profound impact on people's mental health. The factors associated with mental symptoms among men diagnosed with infertility, a disease closely related to psychological conditions, remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors associated with mental symptoms among infertile Chinese men during the pandemic.

RESULTS

A total of 4,098 eligible participants were recruited in this cross-sectional, nationwide study, including 2,034 (49.6%) with primary infertility and 2,064 (50.4%) with secondary infertility. The prevalence of mental health conditions was 36.3%, 39.6%, and 6.7% for anxiety, depression, and post-pandemic stress, respectively. Sexual dysfunction is associated with a higher risk with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.40 for anxiety, 1.38 for depression, and 2.32 for stress. Men receiving infertility drug therapy displayed a higher risk for anxiety (adjusted OR, 1.31) and depression (adjusted OR, 1.28) symptoms, while those receiving intrauterine insemination had a lower risk of anxiety (adjusted OR, 0.56) and depression (adjusted OR, 0.55) symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant psychological impact on infertile men. Several psychologically vulnerable populations were identified, including individuals with sexual dysfunction, respondents receiving infertility drug therapy, and those experiencing control measures for COVID-19. The findings provide a comprehensive profile of the mental health status of infertile Chinese men during the COVID-19 outbreak and provide potential psychological intervention strategies.