Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T11:59:11.883Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Aetiology of Post-traumatic Morbidity: Predisposing, Precipitating and Perpetuating Factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Alexander C. McFarlane
Alexander C. McFarlane*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A group of 469 firefighters were studied 4, 11 and 29 months after having an extreme exposure to a bushfire disaster. The relative importance of the impact of the disaster, personality and ways of coping were investigated as determinants of post-traumatic morbidity. Neuroticism and a past history of treatment for a psychological disorder were better predictors of post-traumatic morbidity than the degree of exposure to the disaster or the losses sustained. These results raise doubts about the postulated central aetiological role a traumatic event plays in the onset of morbidity.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 154 , Issue 2 , February 1989 , pp. 221 - 228
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edn. Washington DC: APA.Google Scholar
Atkinson, R. M., Sparr, L. F., Sheff, A. G., et al (1984) Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 694–696.Google Scholar
Brett, E. A. & Ostroff, E. (1985) Imagery and post-traumatic stress disorder: an overview. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 417–424.Google ScholarPubMed
Brown, G. W., Sklair, F., Harris, T. O., et al (1973) Life events and psychiatric disorders – Part 1. Some methodological issues. Psychological Medicine, 3, 74–87.Google Scholar
Clayton, P. J. & Darvish, H. S. (1979) Course of depressive symptoms following the stress of bereavement. In Stress and Mental Disorder (ed. James Barrett, ). New York: Raven Press.Google Scholar
Davidson, J., Swartz, M. & Storck, M. (1985) A diagnostic and family study of post-traumatic stress disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 90–95.Google Scholar
Erikson, K. T. (1979) In the Wake of the Flood. London: Allen and Unwin.Google Scholar
Eysenck, H. J. & Eysenck, S. B. G. (1964) Manual of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. London: London University Press.Google Scholar
Foy, D. W., Rueger, D. R., Siprelle, R. C., et al (1984) Etiology of post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans: analysis of premilitary, military and combat influences. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 79–87.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. P. (1972) The Detection of Psychiatric Illness by Questionnaire. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Green, B. L., Lindy, J. D. & Grace, M. C. (1985) Post-traumatic stress disorder: towards DSM IV. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 173, 406–411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helzer, J. E., Robins, L. N., Wish, E., et al (1979) Depression in Vietnam veterans and civilian controls. American Journal of Psychiatry, 136, 526–529.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henderson, S., Byrne, D. G. & Duncan-Jones, P. (1981) Neurosis and the Social Environment. Sydney: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Horowitz, M. J. (1976) Stress Response Syndromes. New York: Jason Aronson.Google Scholar
Horowitz, M. J., Wilner, M. & Alvarez, W. (1979) Impact of events scale: a measure of subjective distress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFarlane, A. C. (1986a) Post-traumatic morbidity of a disaster: a study of cases presenting for psychiatric treatment. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 174, 1–11.Google Scholar
McFarlane, A. C. (1986b) Chronic post-traumatic morbidity of a natural disaster: implications for disaster planners and emergency services. Medical Journal of Australia, 145, 561–631.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFarlane, A. C. (1987) Life events and psychiatric disorder: the role of a natural disaster. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 362–367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McFarlane, A. C. (1988) Relationship between psychiatric impairment and a natural disaster: the role of distress. Psychological Medicine, 18, 129–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFarlane, A. C. & Raphael, B. (1984) Ash Wednesday: the effects of a fire. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 18, 341–351.Google Scholar
SPSS Inc. (1983) SPSSx User's Guide. New York: McGraw Hill.Google Scholar
Tennant, C. (1977) The general health questionnaire: a valid index of psychological impairment in Australian populations. Medical Journal of Australia, 2, 392–394.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weisaeth, L. (1984) Stress Reactions to an Industrial Accident. MD thesis, Oslo University.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.