A year after the Northridge earthquake violently shook Los Angeles' physical and emotional foundations, a sizable share of county residents, particularly in the hard-hit San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, still suffer hardships, psychological aftereffects or delays in repairing their homes, a new Times Poll has found.

In those areas, more than half of those whose residences need repairs have not completed them, the poll found. About the same percentage said they or their children continue to suffer from sleeplessness, jittery nerves, fearfulness or other emotional upset. Indeed, a majority of residents in the worst affected areas now say they suffered a "great deal" or "good amount" of quake-caused hardships, an increase from the period just after the damage occurred.

Fully one-quarter of county residents-and half of those in areas that incurred the greatest damage-said they still had some pressing problem or difficulty caused by the quake. Psychological effects were often cited, but a range of unwelcome changes involving life at home and work also were mentioned, from lost business income to difficulty finishing repairs. In addition, 30% of parents surveyed countywide said their children continue to have nightmares and other emotional aftereffects linked to the Jan. 17 quake.