title: Psychological morbidity associated with motor vehicle accidents.
abstract: Fifty victims of recent motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), who had sought medical attention after their accidents, were assessed for possible psychological morbidity as a result of the accident. Forty age, gender-matched controls were also assessed with the same instruments. Forty-six percent of the MVA victims met the criteria for current post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) as a result of the accident while 20% showed a sub-syndromal version (the reexperiencing symptom cluster plus either the avoidance/numbing cluster or the over-arousal cluster) of PTSD. Although all MVA victims showed some form of driving reluctance, only 1 S met the criteria for driving phobia. Those MVA victims who met the criteria for PTSD or sub-syndromal PTSD were significantly more likely to have experienced previous trauma, other than a serious MVA, and were more likely (P = 0.008) to have previously met the criteria for PTSD as a result of that trauma. Forty-eight percent of MVA victims who met the criteria for current PTSD also met the criteria for current major depression. Significantly more current MVA-PTSDs had suffered previous major depressive episodes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, University at Albany-SUNY 12203.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hickling
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Loos
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gerardi
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology