Predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Victims of Serious Motor Vehicle Accidents.
Naema Khodadadi-Hassankiadeh, Nahid Dehghan Nayeri, Hooman Shahsavari and 2 others
PMID 29043281WHAT IT FOUND
Among 528 accident survivors, 30.49% screened positive for PTSD and 19.89% for depression.
Depression, age under 30, female sex, pain, and education were linked to positive screening, but cause was not shown.
Key findings
01528 MVA survivors were assessed six weeks to six months after the accident; 30.49% screened positive for probable PTSD and 19.89% for depression.
02In the final model, depression, age, sex, pain, and education were associated with probable PTSD, while work status was not.
03Pain was related to probable PTSD, and almost a quarter of P-PTSD sufferers reported no pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Because the study measured PTSD and depression at one time point, it cannot show which factors came first or caused PTSD. PTSD was assessed with a self-report screening tool, which the authors note can overestimate symptoms compared with a structured clinical interview. The DSM-5 PTSD scale used here was not standardized in Iran. Financial status was assessed without a separate standard questionnaire. The study was done in one main trauma center in northern Iran, so the authors say results should be generalized cautiously.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported predictors as proof that treating pain or depression will prevent PTSD. The study measured associations six weeks to six months after accidents, so it did not test cause or treatment effect.