Εκτίμηση μετατραυματικής διαταραχής στρες στην εφηβική ηλικία μετά από τροχαίο ατύχημα

Abstract

Study purpose. The purpose of this study was to assess Post-TraumaticStress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adolescents after an accident (includingmotor vehicles, fall, gun shot etc) and to continue a follow-up 3 and 6 monthsafter the accident. Additional purposes of this study were: a) to observe theprevalence of PTSD in adolescents in association to their trauma, b) toassess their PTSD severity, c) to observe the correlation between PTSDseverity and depression and d) to observe if there is an agreement betweenadolescents and parents as far as the adolescents' PTSD severity andsymptoms are concerned.Population and method. The study sample was consisted of 60 adolescentsaged 11-18 years who were involved in a car accident and one of theirparents. Data collection was performed by filling out the Children's PostTraumaticStress Disorder Revision Inventory 2 (CPTS-RI) adolescentversion, Children's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Revision Inventory 2(CPTS-RI) parent version to assess PTSD, the Beck Depression Inventoryfor assessing depression and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children(STAIC) to estimate the acute and persistent stress at three different periodsof time: four weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the accident.Results. At 4 weeks after the accident, 100% of the adolescents had fullPTSD symptomatology (partial PTSD was observed by parents in 75%), while63.3% of adolescents had moderate PTSD (30% mild PSTD was observed byparents). In the third month PTSD percentages were approximately 88.3%. In61.7% of adolescents experienced mild PTSD and in 58.3% the parentsagreed. In the sixth month after the accident there was a significantimprovement in the severity of PTSD, but 23.3% had persistent mild PTSDand full PTSD symptomatology was diagnosed in 68.3%. The girls had moresevere PTSD symptomatology than boys (p = 0,002) 4 weeks after theaccident. In the sixth month the boys showed milder PTSD symptoms thangirls. There were statistically significant differences in PTSD severity betweenthe first and third month (p = 0,001) but not between the 1stand 6th month(p = 0.160). The parents' and adolescents' observations agreed the first month after the injury (p = 0.03) and it was observed that girls had strongerPTSD symptoms in the presence of their mother significantly (p = 0.04), whilethe boys did not (p = 0.64).A statistically significant correlation between the first month and thethird month was established, as well as between the first and sixth month (p =0.02) in the STAIC A-Trait scale (p = 0.03). Adolescents showed a decreasein anxiety during that specific moment. A statistically significant correlationwas also established between the 3rd and 6th months (p = 0.05) after theaccident with the STAIC A-Trait scale and the adolescents showedsignificantly reduced anxiety in stressful situations that they face in their dailylives. The girls showed higher scores on STAIC A-Trait than boys.Statistically significant difference was observed with the BECK inventorybetween the first and the third month (p = 0.07), the first and the sixth month(p = 0.02) and between the 3rd and the 6th month (p = 0.00).Conclusions. The main conclusions of the research study were that:a) girls had more severe PTSD symptoms than boys, while the disorder isassociated with the cause of the accident, with increased symptomatologyamong adolescents who had a motorcycle accident, b) a correlation betweenthe age of the adolescents, the cause of the accident and PTSD severity wasnot observed, c) the PTSD symptoms were more severe when theadolescents' mother was present 4 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after theaccident, d) there seemed to be an agreement in the observations betweenthe adolescents and their parents 4 weeks after the accident, but not at 3months and 6 months. Specifically, parents observed fewer symptoms thanthose adolescents in fact experienced, e) PTSD symptomatology rates werepersistent at 3 months and 6 months after the accident and f) rates ofdepression symptoms, while declining, remained significant at 3 months and6 months after the accident.