title: Symptoms of peritraumatic and acute traumatic stress among victims of an industrial disaster.
abstract: Previous studies have examined peritraumatic distress, peritraumatic dissociation, and acute stress disorder as predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors examined whether these three predictors were associated with PTSD symptoms when considered simultaneously. Two-hundred victims of a factory explosion in Toulouse, France, were surveyed two and six months after the event with use of retrospective self-reports of peritraumatic distress, peritraumatic dissociation, and acute stress disorder. A hierarchical multiple regression predicting PTSD symptoms six months posttrauma indicated that all three constructs explained unique variance, accounting for up to 62 percent. Peritraumatic distress and dissociation and acute stress disorder appear conceptually different from one another and show promise in identifying who is at risk of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, University Hospital of Toulouse, 170 avenue De Casselardit, TSA 40031, 31059 Toulouse cedex 09, France. birmes.p@chu-toulouse.fr
authors.forename: Philippe J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Birmes
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coppin-Calmes
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arbus
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coppin
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Charlet
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vinnemann
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Juchet
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lauque
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005107:Explosions; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors