Abstract:
Objective To determine the prevalence and predictors of
psychiatric disorders in a general population from South
Lebanon, an area that was under military occupation for
more than 20 years.
Method This study assessed post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and depression thresholds along with general
health (GHQ) among 625 citizens in six villages in South
Lebanon using a cross-sectional design through random
sampling.
Results The prevalence ranged from 17.6 to 33.3% for
PTSD and from 9.2 to 19.7% for depression. GHQ total
score was found to be 6.7 significantly greater than the
internationally established mean score of 5.0. Social support,
financial resources, gender, and war exposure were
significantly related to PTSD and depression thresholds.
Conclusion The results strongly suggest that the general
population in South Lebanon suffer from mental health
disorders calling for appropriate psychiatric interventions
and development planning.
