Psychological effects of PTSD and major depression following the wildfires in Fort McMurray: A fifth-year post-disaster study

• Main Authors: Mao, W., Adu, M., Eboreime, E., Shalaby, R., Nkire, N., Agyapong, B., Pazderka, H., Obuobi-Donkor, G., Owusu, E., Oluwasina, F., Zhang, Y., Agyapong, V.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press 2023
• Subjects: Abstract; Canada; Fort McMurray
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10434387/; https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.1010

INTRODUCTION: As a result of the wildfire that engulfed Fort McMurray (FMM), Alberta, Canada in May 2016, over 90,000 residents were evacuated from the city. Approximately 2400 homes, or 10% of the housing stock, were destroyed in Fort McMurray. About 200,000 hectors of forest were destroyed by the fire, which reached into Saskatchewan. In the aftermath of a major disaster, a community’s infrastructure is disrupted, and psychological, economic, and environmental effects can last for many years. OBJECTIVES: Intensive research was conducted in Fort McMurray five years after the wildfire disaster to determine the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among residents of the community and to determine the demographic, clinical, and other risk factors of probable MDD and PTSD. METHODS: An online questionnaire administered via REDCap was used to collect data in a quantitative cross-sectional study between 24 April and 2 June 2021. Patients were asked to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in order to assess the presence of symptoms associated with MDD. An assessment of likely PTSD in respondents was conducted using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-C). In this study, descriptive, univariate, and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Out of 249 people who accessed the survey link, 186 completed it (74.7% response rate). There was a median age of 42 among the subscribers. A majority of the sample consisted of 159 (85.5%) females; 98 (52.7%) over the age of 40; 136 (71%) in a relationship; and 175 (94.1%) employed. Our study sample had an overall prevalence of 45.0% (76) of MDD symptoms. The multivariate logistic regression model revealed four variables that were independently associated with MDD symptoms, including being unemployed, diagnosed with MDD, taking sedative-hypnotics, and willingness to receive mental health counseling. A total of 39.6% of our respondents (65) reported having likely PTSD. Three independent variables: received a ...