Development of Mental Health Outcomes Following the 2020 Petrinja Earthquake

Neuropsychiatric Hospital dr Ivan Barbot

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Panic Disorder; Mental Health Disorder; Depression; Anxiety

Treatments: Behavioral: Family Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04911933

ZH/MS/2176-128-14-688-3/21

Details and patient eligibility

About

On 29 December 2020, an earthquake struck Petrinja in Croatia. The aim of this study is to assesses prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and panic disorder among exposed inhabitants and examine the effect of family therapy on mental health as part of a public health emergency response and rapid assessment.

Full description

The strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit the area of Petrinja town in Croatia on December 29 2020, causing numerous casualties and widespread material damage. The maximum felt intensity was estimated at VIII (Heavily damaging) to IX (Destructive) on the European macroseismic scale, and it is the worst earthquake in Croatia in the last 140 years. Since the initial strong earthquake, the Petrinja area has been hit by numerous aftershocks, magnitudes ranging from 1.2 to 4.8 on the Richter scale, increasing distress of residents and contributing to further damage of houses and buildings. The earthquake and the constant aftershocks caused strong psychological and physiological reactions in children and adults directly affected as well as a large population of people living in the surrounding areas at the time when Croatia was facing a second "lockdown" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of a public health emergency response, we conducted a rapid assessment among survivors in the most severely affected area by the earthquake. Findings from previous researches among survivors of natural disasters have been mixed in prevalence of mental health problems and treatments outcomes. The aim of this study is to assesses prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and panic disorder among exposed inhabitants and examine the effect of systemic family therapy on mental health during the first year following the earthquake. Qualitative methodology will be used to augment quantitative findings. The study sample consisted of 350 individuals residing in the earthquake area. Participants were selected from total number of patients requested psychological and psychiatric help during first two months after disaster. A follow up study will be conducted at 6 and 12 months to assess the change in their mental health status.

Enrollment: 350 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• People were in the earthquake area while it occured

Exclusion criteria

• People were not in the earthquake area while it occured

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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350 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The form of treatment involve systemic family therapy sessions every two weeks about an hour each.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Family Therapy

Waitlist Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants assigned to the control condition will be placed on a waitlist for future enrollment. After primary data collection has ceased, those assigned to the control arm will receive the identical intervention delivered in the experimental condition.