Development and predictors of psychological outcomes following the 2008 earthquake in Iceland: a longitudinal cohort study:

Aims: On 29 May 2008, an earthquake struck in South Iceland. The aim of this study was to explore the trajectories of post-traumatic stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms among exposed inhabitants during the first year following the earthquake, as well as predictors for symptomology. Methods: This was a longitudinal cohort study based on a sample that was randomly selected from the earthquake-stricken area (n = 1301). Participants answered a questionnaire assessing demographic and disaster-related factors 2 months after the earthquake. In addition, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety were assessed 2, 4, 8 and 12 months post-disaster. Results: Two months after the earthquake, 5.2% of the participants reported PTSD symptoms, 6.7% depression and 6.4% anxiety symptoms. When comparing first and last time points only, we found a significant decrease in anxiety (p = 0.05), particulary among females (p = 0.05), those with a primary education (p = 0.01), prior history of acc...