Citation

Chubb HL, Bisson JI. Br. J. Psychiatry 1996; 169(4): 430-433.

Affiliation

St Tydfil's Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8894192

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The impact of major trauma on individuals with pre-existing and enduring mental health difficulties is poorly understood. METHOD: Twenty individuals with pre-existing and enduring mental health difficulties were assessed with the Clinician Administered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale, the 28-item version of the GHO, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the impact of Event Scale between four and eight weeks after their involvement in a major coach accident. RESULTS: Ten (50%) individuals satisfied the full DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. The questionnaire scores indicated a high level of psychological suffering among the group. On dividing the sample into those individuals with previous diagnosis of anxiety or depressive disorders and those with a previous diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia, the schizophrenia group displayed less marked psychological sequelae on all measures. CONCLUSION: There was a high incidence of early psychological sequelae among the group as a whole. Some diagnoses (e.g. depression and anxiety) may predispose to psychological sequelae while others (e.g. chronic schizophrenia) may not.

Language: en