Posttraumatic Stress After a Motor Vehicle Accident: A Six-Month Follow-Up Study Utilizing Latent Growth Modeling

This article reports on a study in which features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined by self-report measures in 596 survivors of motor vehicle accidents. The participants reported at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after their motor vehicle accident (MVA). The authors used latent growth modeling to study the trend and predictors of the level of distress in this population. Results showed that 5 to 20% of the participants reported a significant level of posttraumatic stress in one, two, or three of the PTSD symptom clusters within the period studied. Survivors with significant acute stress 1 week after the MVA had a higher risk for developing PTSD. The severity of intrusive and hyperarousal symptoms decreased over time, but the severity of avoidance symptoms remained unchanged. The authors discuss the factors that can predict the course of PTSD after an MVA. The study is supported by the Accident and Emergency Department and the Clinical Psychology Department of the Caritas Medical Centre in Hong Kong.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08949867
• Authors:
  • Wu, Kitty K
  • Cheung, Mike WL
• Publication Date: 2006-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 923-936
• Serial:
  • Journal of Traumatic Stress
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0894-9867
  • EISSN: 1573-6598
  • Serial URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1573-6598

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Crash injuries; Crashes; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychological aspects; Stress (Psychology)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driving avoidance; Symptoms
• Geographic Terms: Hong Kong (China)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01056005
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 30 2007 12:36PM