Objectives to compare posttraumatic growths(PTG) of two groups of junior high school students from two areas differently affected by Wen-chuan earthquake, and to investigate the relationships between PTG and depression symptoms, and between PTG and PTSD symptoms.

Methods to investigate 428 subjects from Dazu Junior High School(in the mildly affected area) and Aoping Junior High School(in the severely affected area) with Posttraumatic Growth Inventory(PTGI), Children's Depression of Inventory(CDI), Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale(CRIES) and other questionnaires.

Results 1) the PTGI score of students from Dazu Junior High School are significantly lower than that from Aoping Junior High School; 2) the CDI score from former group is significantly higher than that of the latter; 3) no significant difference is found between students of two schools on CRIES scores, but the score of former group is higher than that of the latter on the scale of intrusion; 4)a significant negative correlation is found between Students' PTGI score and CDI score in both schools, whereas the correlation between PTGI and CRIES scores is inconsistent.

Conclusion a year after the Wenchuan earthquake, students from the severely affected area show a higher level of PTG and a lower level of depression symptoms than those from mildly affected area.