Journal

SOCIAL SUPPORT AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER ON ADOLESCENTORY

OF MERAPI MOUNTAIN

Oleh:

1. I Putu wahyu 16710411

2. Dewangga D.J 16710405

3. Nailul izzah 16710384

4. Haifa maraya 16710379

5. Nadya revi 16710409

Pembimbing:

dr. Yekti Mumpuni. SPKJ

SMF Ilmu Kesehatan Jiwa

RSJ Dr. RADJIMAN WEDIODININGRAT LAWANG

FAKULTAS KEDOKTERAN UNIVERSITAS WIJAYA KUSUMA

SURABAYA

2017
 SOCIAL SUPPORT AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER ON ADOLESCENTORY
OF MERAPI MOUNTAIN

Fatwa Tentama

Psychology Faculty of Ahmad Dahlan University J

l. Cotton 9, Semaki Yogyakarta

Abstract

The greatest eruption of the Mount Merapi took place in the past four-years. Various
psychological problems were reported since then, one of which was post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). The survivors of Mt. Merapi eruption needed social support from the
significant others. This study aims to empirically test the correlation between social support and
PTSD on adolecescents survivor of Mt. Merapi’s eruption. Thirty junior high school students of
SMP Negeri I Turi, Sleman, Yogyakarta, aged 12-15 years participated the study. Two scales
were used to collect data: the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (15 items; α = 0.89) and
Social Support Scale (16 items; α = 0.88). The results of product moment correlation analysis of
Pearson revealed a negative significant correlation between social support and PTSD (r = -0.42;
p = 0.02). This finding indicated that the less social support adolescent has received, the more
severe they reported post-traumatic stress disorders.

Keywords: social support, post-traumatic stress disorder, Mount Merapi, adolescent, survivor

PRELIMINARY

On October 25, 2010 a natural disaster eruption or eruption of Mount Merapi located on
the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta causing hundreds of people died. At the present
time all that remains of the event are the survivors who have lost their families and relatives
cherished, residence, property (clothing, board etc) even the daily work that has been done to
meet the needs of family life makes the refugees desperate to think about the fate of the future
that must be started from scratch again. The most active volcano in Indonesia has devastated
most of the northern Sleman Regency and swallowed many victims.
Death, fear, tense atmosphere (volcanic ash rain, mud / sand even rocks, roar in Merapi
volcano), cold lava threat and worries about the future are felt by the survivors.
Various problems arise after the occurrence of eruption of Mount Merapi in the disaster
survivors, both economic, social, health problems even to the psychological problems. However,
the apparent effects of post-eruption events of Mount Merapi can be seen in the psychological
problems of the survivors as they are very susceptible to these disorders. This is what then can
trigger the coming of various psychological disorders such as anxiety, trauma, even to a more
severe level such as post-traumatic stress disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Parkinson (2000) explains that traumatic events can occur when a disaster occurs until a
disaster has passed, in this latter condition called PTSD, meaning that the prolonged event
experienced by the eruption of Merapi volcano and the impact that the survivors currently feel
just leave a deep impression on the memories of the survivors and the impression will cause new
problems with the emergence of various kinds of psychological disturbance The fact that there is
in the field shows there are still many survivors of the eruption of the mountain Merapi is
experiencing trauma prolonged after the disaster event. The abandoned trauma will continue to
live in the survivor who experienced the terrible event. Without psychological treatment in an
integrated way, PTSD trends will emerge.
The effects of trauma and the ongoing traumatic events experienced by individuals will
lead to stress, because in a traumatic event there are many stressors as a stressor and if
experienced prolonged will cause post-traumatic stress disorder is a prolonged reaction to the
trauma experienced by individuals (Smet, 1994) . The survey results show that 20% individuals
who experience traumatic events will experience PTSD (van Etten & Taylor, 1998). Post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may take months, years or decades and may appear after
months or years after exposure to traumatic events (Zlotnick in Durand & Barlow, 2006).

PTSD is a commonly studied psychological disorder after a disaster. PTSD is

characterized by the presence of permanent memory disorders associated with traumatic events,
avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, and experience persistent increased disorders (American
Psychiatric Association, 1994). One survivor with PTSD is a teenager, where they directly
experience and feel the event. Early detection of the effects of these traumatic events should be
done immediately given that adolescence is a period that is still unstable and vulnerable to
various problems. Post traumatic stress is the stress that follows the trauma event (Rothschild,
2000). Teenagers in this case are survivors who have to face the events of family death, fear,
threats, loss of property (clothing, houses, living facilities, etc.) and loss of social environment.
These conditions can cause sadness, anxiety, confusion, even more severe mental disorders.

The reaction of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) begins as a teenager undergoes

severe psychological stresses from outside sources of stress the range of experience he normally
experiences or the presence of extreme stressor (Ranimpi, 2003). The extreme stressors include
serious accidents or natural disasters, rape or crimes accompanied by violence, open warfare,
sexual abuse of children, witnessing traumatic events, and sudden deaths from loved ones (Foaet
al., 1999). Poerwandari (2006) reveals the characteristics of adolescents who experience PTSD
include difficulty controlling emotions / feelings (irritability, irritability, sadness that soluble
soluble), difficulty to concentrating or thinking clearly (daydreaming), fear, nightmares, sleep
disorders, memories of past gripping events, eating disorders, disturbing when reminded. Thus
the eruption of Mount Merapi is a stressor that can lead to the emergence of PTSD.

Susceptibility to PTSD may depend on factors such as resilience and susceptibility to

trauma, history of childhood sexual abuse, trauma severity, degree of exposure, availability of
social support, use of active coping responses in the face of traumatic stressors, and feelings of
embarrassment et al, 2005). In this case, social support is wrong one factor that may affect
PTSD. Based on the results of observations and initial interviews conducted, obtained data that
some students of SMP Negeri 1 Turi have behaviors that show disturbed PTSD such as difficulty
controlling emotions / feelings (irritability, irritability, sadness that dissolves late), difficulty to
concentrate or think clearly (daydreaming during lessons), fear, aloofness, frequent nightmares
and sleep disturbances. This is because they feel, directly witnessed the loss of the nearest such
as friends, parents and relatives, and loss of property. The students also said that they needed the
support of parents at home, teachers at school and their fellow friends to be able to forget the
horrible events and not get in sadness and fear.

Social support becomes very valuable and important for teenagers when experiencing
PTSD because adolescents need the closest people who can be trusted to assist in overcoming the
disorder. Teens who experience PTSD are expected with social support from parents, teachers,
siblings, peers, and the community environment will make teenagers have a good confidence,
feel accepted, feel cared for, feel recognized, and can return to life normally.

Bastaman (1996) defines social support as the presence of certain individuals who
personally advise, motivate, direct, encourage, and show the way out when experiencing
problems and when experiencing obstacles in conducting activities directed to achieve goals.
Social support is an interpersonal transaction which is indicated by providing assistance to
another individual and the assistance is obtained from the person meaningful to the individual
concerned. Support is derived from familiar social relationships or from the whereabouts of those
who make individuals feel cared for, valued, and loved (Sarason et al, 1990). Caplin (in Yuliani,
2002) describes social support as a good informal or formal relationship between an individual
and another individual in his environment. The support that individuals get from family, friends,
and others relates to the level of individual well-being.

Social support from parents, siblings, teachers and peers is now very important and
beneficial for students of SMP Negeri 1 Turi Sleman who experience PTSD. These teenagers
need reliable people to assist in overcoming PTSD problems experienced. This study aims to
examine the relationship between social support and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in
adolescent survivors of eruption of Mount Merapi.

METHOD

The research was conducted at SMP Negeri 1 Turi Sleman Yogyakarta. The subjects were 30
students of SMP Negeri 1 Turi, Sleman. Selection of research subjects

based on the following characteristics:

a. Male and female sex

b. Experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder

c. Experiencing directly Merapi mountain disaster event.

d. Occupy in an area directly affected by the disaster Mount Merapi

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was expressed using Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder Scale, based on aspects according to DSM-IV (1994) and Sidran Traumatic Stress
Foundation (2003), intrusive re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal.
 Some examples of the items are: "I had a nightmare about the eruption of Mount
Merapi"; "I now prefer to be alone after the eruption of Mount Merapi"; "I am easily surprised".
From result of analysis of experiment on 42 aitem of Post Trauma Stress Disorder Scale obtained
15 valid aitem with reliability coefficient (α) equal to 0,892 and range of index of difference
power of aitem (rit) between 0,379 until 0,751.

Social support is expressed using Social Support Scale which refers to aspects of social
support by House and Khan (Smet, 1994) that is emotional, informational, instrumental, and
positive judgment. Examples of the items are: "I get less attention from my family"; "Other
people do not care when I have a problem"; "The support of my friends at school makes me more
excited"; "I feel sad because of bad judgment against me". From result of analysis of test to 40
aitem Social Support Scale obtained 16 valid aitem with reliability coefficient (α) equal to 0,875
and range of index of difference power aitem (rit) between 0,292 up to 0.789.

Both scales used in the form of Likert scale. Each item of both scales has four
alternative answers, which are Very Match (SS), Correct (S), Inappropriate (TS), Very
Inappropriate (STS) consisting of favorabel and unfavorabel statements.

Data analysis using Pearson product moment correlation technique to know the
relationship between social support and PTSD in adolescent survivors eruption of Mount Merapi.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of data analysis indicate a significant negative correlation between social
support and post-traumatic stress disorder (r = -0.418; p = 0.024). That is, the higher the social
support that adolescents receive, the lower the post-traumatic stress disorder; and conversely, the
lower the social support that adolescents receive, the higher the post-traumatic stress disorder.

The findings in this study support the opinion of previous experts, that one of the
factors that affect Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the availability of social support
(Nevid et al, 2005). Bastaman (1996) defines social support as the presence of certain individuals
personally giving advice, motivating, directing, encouraging, and showing the way out when
experiencing problems and when experiencing obstacles in conducting activities directed to
achieve goals. Caplin (in Yuliani, 2002) describes social support as a good informal or formal
relationship between an individual and another individual in his environment. Various social
support gained by individuals from family, friends, and people others relate to the level of
welfare of the individual.

Social support is related to the extent to which individuals interact or interpersonal

transactions within the environment, the more individuals have a strong and supportive group,
the wider and deeper the social network then the possibility of developing post-traumatic stress
disorder will be much smaller (Caroll et al. in Durand & Barlow, 2006). Thus social support is
concerned with the way the individual controls and suppresses the emergence of the stress or the
ongoing stress he experiences.

The results of field interviews further strengthen the results of this study which says
that some students of SMP Negeri 1 Turi have behaviors that show disturbed PTSD, such as
difficulty controlling emotions / feelings (irritability, irritability, sadness that dissolves late),
difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly (daydreaming during the lesson), fear, aloofness,
frequent nightmares and sleep disturbances. This is because they feel, directly witnessed the loss
of the nearest such as friends, parents and relatives, and loss of property. The students also said
that they needed encouragement from parents at home, teachers at school and their fellow friends
to be able to forget the horrible events and not get in sadness and fear.
 CONCLUSION

Based on the results of data analysis can be concluded that there is a significant negative
relationship between social support with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in students SMP
Negeri 1 Turi Sleman Yogyakarta. The higher the social support that adolescents receive, the
lower the post-traumatic stress disorder; and conversely, the lower the social support that
adolescents receive, the higher the post-traumatic stress disorder.
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