title: Two-year prospective evaluation of the relationship between acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder following mild traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the ability of acute stress disorder to predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the relationship between acute stress disorder and PTSD over the 2 years following mild traumatic brain injury was determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survivors of motor vehicle accidents who sustained mild traumatic brain injuries were assessed for acute stress disorder within 1 month of the trauma (N=79) and for PTSD at 6 months (N=63) and 2 years (N=50) posttrauma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute stress disorder was diagnosed in 14% of the patients. Among the patients who participated in all three assessments, 80% of the subjects who met the criteria for acute stress disorder were diagnosed with PTSD at 2 years. Of the total initial group, 73% of those diagnosed with acute stress disorder had PTSD at 2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides further support for the utility of the acute stress disorder diagnosis as a predictor of PTSD but indicates that the predictive power of the diagnostic criteria can be increased by placing greater emphasis on reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal symptoms.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Unviersity of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.vey@psy.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bryant
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001143:Arousal; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices