Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Prevalence, Symptoms, Depressed Mood and Anxiety According to the Presence of Consciousness at the Time of Traumatic Accident

Lee, Yu Jin; Yun, Kyu Wol; Woo, Haing Won; Kim, Young Chul; Lim, Won Jeong

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study investigated PTSD prevalence, symptoms, depressed mood and anxiety, comparing two groups of the patients in trauma; one who had experienced the loss of consciousness (group "A" here after) and the other group of patients who had not(group "B" here after). METHOD: Subjects were 120 patients(age18-66) who had received trauma(traffic accident, fall down) more than 1 month. Before they consisted of 56 patients who had experienced the loss of the consciousness(46.7%) and 64 who had not(53.3%). Men were 69 and women were 51. Clinician administered PTSD Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, State Trait Anxiety Inventory-I, II were administered. The factors such as sociodemographic variables, unconsciousness at the time of trauma, memory about traumatic accidents were considered. RESULT: Out of 120 subjects, 30 patients(25%) were diagnosed as PTSD: 17 from 56(30.4%) and 13 from 64(20.3%) were found in the group "A" and "B" respectively. Prevalence of PTSD was higher in the group "A". However, there was no significant difference between two groups(X2=1.607, p>0.05). The CAPS of group "A" showed significantly high frequency in the loss of interest, detachment, restricted affect, sleep difficulty, irritability/anger, concentration difficulty(p<0.05), while the group "B" scored high in intrusive recall and increased startle. The scores of BDI, STAI-I, II were significantly higher in the group "A"(t=-3.16, p<0.05)(t=-2.75, p<0.05, t=-3.38, p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
PTSD was more frequent and depressed mood and anxiety appeared more often in the group who experienced the loss of consciousness. Thus the loss of the consciousness at the time of trauma prones of the aevelopment PTSD and to symptom of aepression and anxiety.