Psychometric and Patholinguistic Assessment of Psychotrauma Related to Natural Hazards in the Commune of "Le Prêcheur" (EP3LAN)

University Hospital Center of Martinique

Status: Completed

Conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD; Mass Casualty Incidents; Psychological Trauma

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04479670

19_RIPH3-20

Details and patient eligibility

About

The project is to study the evolution of mental health in a little town of the French Martinique (Le Prêcheur) by using an innovative method of analysis that combines patholinguistic and psychometric indications for patients who risk of developing psychotrauma due to a natural hazard. Investigators will gather precise and factual data concerning the psychic and mental state of the population, by collecting patients' feelings and sentiments through individual interviews and audio recordings that will be then transcribed, and analyzed, and repeated, according to a quantitative, qualitative, and prospective methodology.

This research is launched in order to meet the needs expressed both by the French authorities and the population towards an optimization of crisis management.

Full description

The study focuses on the town of Le Prêcheur (1600 inhabitants) which has a geographical location of dangerous threat at the foot of the Pelee volcano, generating intense stress and psychotraumatic disorders. Indeed, faced with the phenomena of mudslides and boulders in connection with volcanic activity (Lahars) and repeated alerts, several cases of Psychotrauma have already been reported. Even if the municipal, territorial and state authorities have put in place a large-scale action to keep the population safe, the process of moving the neuralgic centers of the town will not be completed until 2021.

In the meantime, investigators propose to provide appropriate support for this situation via the SOS Kriz platform and the Psychotraumatology center of Martinique University Hospital.

In order to reach this objective, the study team will conduct patholinguistic procedures to the verbal recordings of persons from the town of Le Prêcheur every six months during one year. This analysis is carried out semi-automatically using a cognitive-discursive analysis software (Tropes1).

Two validated psychometric tests (GHQ-12 and PCL-5) to supplement the patholinguistic data will be used.

This mixed trial aims to evaluate the evolution of the overall state of mental health of the population via a patholinguistic and psychometric measurement device, to be able to target the actions of care and support to victims of psychotrauma related to risks of natural disaster in the commune of Prêcheur in Martinique.

Enrollment: 59 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Individual over 18,
• Residing on the town of Le Prêcheur,
• Having been informed of the study,
• And having made a non-opposition decision to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Individual under the protection of justice or under guardianship,
• Individual with cognitive impairment incompatible with the collection of information,
• Individual who has undergone head trauma for less than one year or with residual clinical symptoms of trauma regardless of seniority,
• Individual with a proven serious suicidal risk.