Study of Psychological Disorders after Bam Earthquake in Bam and Kerman Cities, Iran

BACKGROUND: The present study compared psychological disorders after the Bam earthquake in Bam and Kerman, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 422 people (205 in Kerman and 217 in Bam) using stratified random cluster‎ sampling in the three age groups of adolescents, adults, and elderly people. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised ‎(SCL-90-R) and a Personal information questionnaire were used to collect data. RESULTS: The analytical statistics from the mean total score of discomfort in the respondents in Bam and Kerman were compared separately in the 9 dimensions. According to the results presented in tables and charts, of the 9 dimensions of symptoms, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, violence, phobia, and psychosis were significantly higher in Bam compared to Kerman. Moreover, only the dimension of paranoia was not significant in the respondents in both cities. Furthermore, based on the comparisons, there was a ‎significant difference in the mean discomfort, total ‎Global Severity Index (GSI), and Positive Symptoms ‎Total (PST) between the two cities. However, ‎the difference in the Positive Symptom Distress ‎Index (PSDI) was not significant.‎ CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the Bam earthquake has increased psychological disorders in Bam city; thus, it is necessary to reduce the effects of these disorders in order to reduce the urgency of treatment in survivors.