Psychiatric Morbidity Following Motor Vehicle Crashes: A Pilot Study from India

This article explores the posttraumatic psychiatric morbidity that can result after a motor vehicle crash. The authors note that research data on psychological distress resulting from personal disasters such as road traffic crashes is lacking. They completed a study of 30 hospital in-patients who had been involved in a motor vehicle crash, either as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian. The patients were assessed for psychiatric morbidity using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Impact of Events Scale; the authors also examined sociodemographic factors. The results showed the 57% of the 30 patients had anxiety or depressive symptoms, 30% had an anxiety or depressive disorder, and 20% had posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors focused on peritraumatic emotions which seemed to determine the type and severity of psychiatric symptoms that patients experienced. Peritraumatic emotions were negative emotions and dissociation experienced at the time of the injury. Thus, immediate attention to psychiatric interventions in the provision of emergency and trauma services could help prevent significant disability.

• Availability:
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• Authors:
  • Seethalakshmi, Ramanathan
  • Dhavale, Hemangi S
  • Gawande, Sushil
  • Dewan, Mantosh
• Publication Date: 2006-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 415-418
• Serial:
  • Journal of Psychiatric Practice
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  • ISSN: 1527-4160

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Anxiety; Crash injuries; Crashes; Depression (Mental condition); Emotions; Hazards and emergency operations; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychological aspects
• Uncontrolled Terms: Hospital care; Neuropsychiatric conditions; Trauma triage (Out-of-hospital)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01046693
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 15 2007 8:25AM