Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

This study examines if post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was produced as a result of the October 17, 1989 Lorna Prieta Earthquake. Twenty eight subjects were interviewed about year post-earthquake to determine the presence of PTSD symptomatology and PTSD symptom clusters.\ud No significant positive correlation of reported levels of PTSD symptomatology was found between lifetime and current time periods (Z = 0.05). However, a significant positive correlation between lifetime and past year time periods (Z = 8.97), and a significant positive correlation between current and past year time periods of PTSD symptomatology (Z = -2.58) was determined. Subjects displayed the avoidance of stimuli cluster more often in the current and past year time periods than the other clusters, and the persistently reexperienced cluster more frequently in the lifetime period. One person reported current PTSD symptomatology, six in the past year, and three in the lifetime before the earthquake.\ud Results indicate that subjects displayed transient\ud PTSD symptomatology from which they recovered