Prevalence and correlates of comorbid PTSD with depression among older people exposed to the Jeju April 3 incident

Background: The psychological consequences of the Jeju April 3 incident, which occurred almost 70 years ago, may be long-lasting. Thus, the present study investigated the prevalence and impact of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among older people exposed to this incident. Methods: A total of 110 survivors and 1,011 immediate family members of the victims of the Jeju April 3 incident completed a questionnaire that collected demographic information, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). Comorbidity was defined as a combination of CES-D positivity and PCL-C positivity. To identify trends among clinical characteristics according to the severity of the comorbid PTSD and depression condition, linear-by-linear association tests were conducted. Results: Of the 1,121 older people included in the present study, 10.8% ma the criteria for comorbid PTSD and depression, 3.0% had PTSD only, and 24.3% had depression only. Additionally, as the severity of the comorbid condition increased, there were trends for lower levels of socioeconomic status and perceived family support and higher suicidality. Compared to either disorder alone, individuals with the comorbid condition were 2.04 times more likely to have a higher suicidal risk. Limitations: Standardized diagnostic tools for assessing the case findings were not employed in the present study. Conclusion: Comorbid PTSD and depression was prevalent among older people exposed to the Jeju April 3 incident. Additionally, this comorbid condition was related to a serious clinical phenomenology, including a higher suicidal risk.