Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Victim of the 1995 Earthquake in Neftegorsk

Relevance. On May 28, 1995, an earthquake by the magnitude of up to 9 scores on the Richter scale struck the island of Sakhalin; as a result, the town settlement of Neftegorsk was destroyed. 2040 out of 3197 inhabitants (including 270 children) died; over 100 people died in hospitals. 685 professional rescuers were involved in rectification of the disaster consequences. Medical assistance was provided to the victims by a consolidated medical unit, which consisted of doctors of various specialties (surgeons, traumatologists, therapists, etc.) seconded by leading medical institutions of the Russian Far East. Intention. Provision of psychological assistance to the victims of the earthquake. Methods. The following methods were used: 1) clinical and psychopathological; 2) experimental and psychological; 3) clinical and statistical. Results and Discussion. For the first time in modern Russian history an emergency psychotherapeutic assistance brigade was working. The psychotherapeutic assistance was organized in 2 stages. The duration of the 1st stage was approximately 1 month (from June 2 to July 9, 1995). One part of the group was working directly in the town of Neftegorsk. Another part of the group was working in the city of Okha, in the temporary evacuation area for the victims. At the 2nd stage, the psychotherapeutic assistance group worked from August 15 to September 2, 1995. Out of 369 residents of Neftegorsk and Okha who survived the earthquake, 197 people (or 53.4 % of the total number) received psychotherapethic assistance; men accounted for 45.7 %, women – for 54.3 %, all of them have been previously examined. Immediately after the disaster, all of the victims included in the Group 1 were diagnosed with acute stress reaction, in a severe form (F43.2 according to ICD-10). The psychotherapy was focused on the following symptoms: 1) sleep disorders, somatic vegetative disorders; 2) obsessions, fears; 3) anxiety and depressive feelings; 4) feeling of guilt and suicidal mood. Conclusion. To increase the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation measures, it is important to ensure efficient interaction of social, psychological and medical services with differentiation of the latter into emergency medical and emergency psychotherapy service.

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