WHO DEVELOPS PTSD FROM MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

Within 1 to 4 months of their motor vehicle accident (MVA), we assesse d 158 MVA victims who sought medical attention as a result of the MVA. Using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS: Blake, Weathers, N agy, Kaloupek, Klauminzer, Charney & Keane, 1990. National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Boston, MA)., we found that 62 (39%) m et DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press) criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorde r. Using variables from the victim's account of the accident and its s equelae, pre-MVA psychosocial functioning, demographic variables, pre- MVA psychopathology and degree of physical injury, we found that 70% o f the subjects could be classified as PTSD or not with 4 variables: pr ior major depression, fear of dying in the MVA, extent of physical inj ury and whether litigation had been initiated. Using multiple regressi on to predict the continuous variable of total CAPS score, as a measur e of post-traumatic stress symptoms, we found that 8 variables combine d to predict 38.1% of variance (Multiple R = 0.617).