Predictive factors for acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder after motor vehicle accidents.
BACKGROUND
Since traffic accidents are more common in developing countries than in developed countries, we aimed to investigate the association of several factors with the development and persistence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traffic accidents.


METHODS
In the study,95 participants with injuries from traffic accidents were evaluated at 4 different times: in the beginning, and after 3, 6 and 12 months.


RESULTS
During the first evaluation, 41.1% (39) of our participants had acute stress disorder (ASD). It was found that lower perceived social support (OR = 0.0908, 95% CI = 0.834-0.989, p = 0.027) and higher peritraumatic dissociative experience scores (OR = 1.332, 95% CI = 1.170-1.516, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of ASD. In the evaluations after 3, 6 and 12 months after the accident, we found PTSD affected 29.8, 23.1 and 17.9% of the participants, respectively. Although limitations at work and in social life after a traffic accident were not related to PTSD at 3 months (OR = 122.43, 95% CI = 0.000, p = 0.999) or at 6 months (OR = 63.438, 95% CI = 0.529-76.059, p = 0.089), limitations at work and in social life were predictors of PTSD at 12 months (OR = 155.514, 95% CI = 2.321-104.22, p = 0.019).


CONCLUSIONS
The persistence of PTSD at the 12-month evaluation is related to ASD, limitations in work and social life, and lower social support scores. In developing countries like Turkey, long-term PTSD is commonly seen after traffic accidents.
Yaşan
Aziz
A
Department of Psychiatry, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. ayasan@dicle.edu.tr
Guzel
Aslan
A
Tamam
Yusuf
Y
Ozkan
Mustafa
M
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology*; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003906:Developing Countries; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014421:Turkey; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult