Association between social support and recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder after flood: a 13-14 year follow-up study in Hunan, China

Abstract

Flood is one of the most common and devastating natural disasters in the world. It may lead to direct economic loss, and may cause both physical and psychological injuries, particularly in developing countries with limited availability of coping mechanisms [1]. China has been seriously affected by floods. For example, a severe flood that struck the Yangzi River of China in 1998 affected over 180 million people. According to the New Report from Ministry of Health of China in 1999, the flood displaced 18.393 million people, destroyed 6.85 million houses, caused 4,150 deaths and yielded a direct economic loss of about $32 billion.