Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T15:02:11.422Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents following road traffic accidents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

K. A. H. Mirza ,
B. R. Bhadrinath ,
Ian M. Goodyer  and
Carol Gilmour
K. A. H. Mirza
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, University of Cambridge, UK
B. R. Bhadrinath*
Affiliation:
Bethel Child and Family Centre, Norwich, UK
Ian M. Goodyer
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, University of Cambridge, UK
Carol Gilmour
Affiliation:
Bethel Child and Family Centre, Norwich, UK
*
Dr B. R. Bhadrinath, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Bethel Child and Family Centre, Hotblack Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4HN
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a persistent and disabling psychiatric disorder. There is little systematic research into the psychiatric consequences of road traffic accidents (RTAs) in children and adolescents.

Method

A consecutive sample of 8–16-year-olds attending an accident and emergency department following RTAs were screened for PTSD. Potential cases and their parent(s) were interviewed with semi-structured research instruments about six weeks and six months after the accident.

Results

Fifty-three (45%) of the 119 subjects fell above PTSD cut-off on the Frederick's Reaction Index. Thirty-three (75%) of the 44 cases met DSM–IV criteria for PTSD. In half of these other psychiatric disorders were present, including major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. Being female, involvement in car accidents and pre-existing depression and anxiety were associated with developing PTSD. Seventeen per cent of the sample continued to be symptomatic six months after the accident.

Conclusions

PTSD is a common consequence of RTAs. Liaison with accident and emergency departments would enhance the early detection and follow-up of children at risk of developing PTSD.

Type
Preliminary Report
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 172 , Issue 5 , May 1998 , pp. 443 - 447
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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 (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) (DSM–III–R). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn) (DSM-IV). Washington. DC: APA.Google Scholar
Berg, C. J., Rappoport, J. L. & Flamet, M. (1986) The Leyton Obsessional Inventory – child version. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 25, 84–91.Google ScholarPubMed
Blanchard, E. B., Hickling, E. J., Taylor, A. E., et al (1994) The psychological morbidity associated with motor vehicle accidents. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 283–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blanchard, E. B., Hickling, E. J., Vollmer, A. J., et al (1995a) Short term follow-up of post-traumatic stress symptoms in motor vehicle accident victims. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 369–377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blanchard, E. B., Hickling, E. J., Mitnick, N., et al (1995b) The impact of severity of physical injury and perception of life threat in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in motor vehicle accidents. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 529–534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Costello, A. & Angold, A. (1988) Scales to assess child and adolescent depression: checklists, screens and nets. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 726–737.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Transport (1995) Road Accidents Great Britain: The Casualty Report. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Di Gallo, A., Barton, J. & Parry-Jones, W. I. (1997) Road traffic accidents: early psychological consequences in children and adolescents. British Journal of Psychiatry, 170, 358–362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frederick, C. J. & Pynoos, R. S. (1988) The Child Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Reaction Index. Los Angeles, CA: University of California.Google Scholar
Goenjian, A. K., Pynoos, R. S., Steinberg, A. M., et al (1995) Psychiatric comorbidity in children after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34, 1174–1184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacFarlane, A. C., Policansky, S. & Irwin, C. P. (1987) A longitudinal study of the psychological morbidity in children due to a natural disaster. Psychological Medicine, 17, 727–738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayou, R., Bryant, B. & Duthie, R. (1993) Psychiatric consequences of road traffic accidents. British Medical Journal, 307, 647–651.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pynoos, R. S., Frederick, C., Nader, K., et al (1987) Life threat and post-traumatic stress in school age children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 1057–1063.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pynoos, R. S., GoenJian, A., Tashjian, M., et al (1993) Posttraumatic stress reactions in children after the 1988 Armenian earthquake. British Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 239–247.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reynolds, C. R. & Richmond, B. O. (1978) What I think and feel: A revised measure of children's manifest anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 6, 271–280.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. (1976) A children's behaviour questionnaire for completion by teachers and parents: preliminary findings. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8, I–II.Google Scholar
Ryan, N., et al (1994) Kiddie-SADS Lifetime. Pittsbugh, PA: Western Psychiatric Institute. University of Pittsburgh.Google Scholar
Stallard, P. & Law, F. (1993) Screening and psychological debriefing of adolescent survivors of life threatening events. British Journal of Psychiatry 163, 660–665.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yates, D. W. (1990) Scoring systems for trauma. British Medical Journal, 301, 1090–1093.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yule, W. & Williams, R. (1990) Post-traumatic stress reactions in children. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3, 279–295.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.