A Study of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Physically Injured Patients by Motor Vehicle Accidents: A Prospective Study on Incidence, Pattern of Symptom Changes and Predictors

Yi, Sun Mi; Kim, Dong In

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to report the incidence of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to identify psychosocial risk factors posttraumatically affecting the severity of PTSD symptoms, to compare the pattern of symptom changes over time, and to find early self-rated measures for the prediction of chronic PTSD in the patients physically injured by motor vehicle accident. METHOD: One-hundred-and-four motor vehicle victims, who were systematically recruited for the study of Kim et al(1998), were reevaluated through interview and questionnaire after twenty-four months. Clinician Administered PTSD Scale(CAPS), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Spiel-berger State Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI), Impact of Event Scale(IES), questions about socioen-vironmental experiences after accident, and The Ways of Coping Checklist(WCC) were included in follow-up assessment. Of these subjects, 68 victims participated in CAPS interview and only 54 victims finished CAPS Interview, and questionnaire. The subjects with PTSD at initial and follow-up assessment were classified as the chronic PTSD group, subjects who recovered from PTSD at follow-up assessment were classified as the recovered group, and subjects who did not meet criteria for PTSD at initial and follow-up assessment were classified as the non-PTSD group.
RESULTS
The prevalence of PTSD in motor vehicle victims was 39.8% in follow-up assessment. Compensation of disabilities, return to previous job and financial difficulty were associated with chronicity and poor psychological adjustment of PTSD. In total group of victims, PTSD symptoms that appeared at initial assessment were improved or disappeared at follow-up assessment. However, avoidance and numbing symptoms significantly increased in chronic PTSD group and "acting or feeling as if event were recurring" and "exaggerated startle response" were not recovered over time in recovered group. Only IES at initial assessment showed significant differences among Non-PTSD, PTSD and recovered group. BDI, STAI-II, active coping and passive coping at follow-up assessment showed significant differences among three groups. IES at initial assessment contributed 18.6% to CAPS variance at follow-up.
CONCLUSION
This study showed a high risk of developing PTSD among physically injured victims after motor vehicle accident. Risk factors such as event severity, compensation of disabilities, return to previous job and financial difficulty were identified. High IES score at initial assessment was regarded as major factor affecting chronic PTSD.