Authors/Coauthors Information

Study was funded by NIH Background: Haiti suffered a 7.0- magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010. More than 200,000 people were killed, with countless more injured and displaced. Due to injury, many Haitians had to undergo amputations. Exposure to the devastating effects of such massive earthquake and witnessing large numbers of dead and injured is traumatizing to humans and is known to be predictive of psychological disorders. Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after having undergone amputation of a lower extremity, as a result of the earthquake. Participants: A convenience sample of Haitian (N = 140) was interviewed. Methods: The PCL-C (PTSD Checklist Civilian version) in Creole was used to measure PTSD. Findings: A substantial percentage of the participants suffered from PTSD (34.3%). PSTD was higher in women than men (women 38.9%, men 29.4%)