To study the influence of exposure factors on posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and Posttraumatic Growth(PTG) in middle school students in disaster area four years after the Wenchuan earthquake.

1 526 students from four schools in Worst-Hit Areas were investigated with Self-compiled Earthquake Exposure Factors Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory(C-PTGI) and Impact of Event Scale(IES-R). Data were analyzed by ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis.

The score of IES-R had significant difference between different levels of all exposure factors(F=5.75~89.10, P<0.05), and students with high exposure level((26.68±14.66), (26.80±15.56), (27.83±14.62), (29.02±15.36), (27.77±15.74), (26.74±15.63), (25.43±14.32), (29.51±14.36)) had heavier symptoms of PTSD than those with low exposure level((22.84±13.96), (23.98±13.99), (23.63±14.21), (23.53±13.96), (23.64±13.83), (24.24±14.15), (21.27±14.35), (17.54±13.34)). Only exposure factors of having witnessed someone injured and having close friends seriously injured or being killed could significantly influence the score of PTGI(F=11.82, P=0.001; F=6.23, P=0.013). Regression analysis showed that five exposure factors (grade, having felt scared, having family members being killed, having close friends seriously injured or being killed, having witnessed someone injured) had significant effect on IES(ΔR²=0.141), but only one factor(having witnessed someone injured)had weak effect on PTG(ΔR²=0.007).

Exposure factors can predict posttraumatic stress symptoms in middle school students in Wenchuan four years after the earthquake, and the emotion of fear is a strongest predictor, but they can not predict posttraumatic growth.

Posttraumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic growth; Exposure factors; Middle school student