Post-traumatic stress disorder after car accidents.
Survivors of car crashes often suffer from a post-traumatic fear of driving, generalized anxiety and depression. Unremitting pains are also common. As part of a pilot study 30 referred subjects were exposed to imagery of driving and accidents. Seventy-seven percent were phobic of driving. Fifty-three percent responded with increased anxiety to the imagery. Twelve treatment referrals received exposure therapy and six improved markedly. An additional four improved when a Benzodiazepine was added temporarily. Four out of eight subjects lost their unremitting pains along with their fears. When guided imagery evoked intense anxiety this seemed to predict a favourable outcome. A resumption of pleasure trips was a reliable criterion of recovery. The frequency of phobic symptomatology and it's importance to the understanding and management of post-traumatic anxiety states is discussed.
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D001334:Automobile Driving; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*