PERSON UNDER TRAIN INCIDENTS FROM THE SUBWAY DRIVERS POINT-OF-VIEW - A PROSPECTIVE 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY - THE DESIGN, AND MEDICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DATA

From the subway driver's point of view, a 'person under train' (PUT) i ncident is a serious life event. This study focuses on the 1-yr conseq uences of such events. Follow-up was made 3 wk, 3 months and 1 yr afte r the event. 40 consecutive PUT subway drivers were followed. For each PUT driver, a control driver matched with regard to gender, age and c ountry of birth was followed at identical intervals. Main results: the PUT group had significantly more sick days during the interval from t he event to 3 wk later. During the period 3 wk to 3 months after the e vent no difference between the groups was observed. From 3 months to 1 yr after the PUT significantly more days were again reported by the P UT group. 38% in the PUT groups vs 14% in the control group had at lea st 1 month of sickness absence during this period. A mild acute psycho physiological reaction was observed 3 wk after the event, with elevate d prolactin and increased sleep disturbance in the PUT group. Such acu te reactions were transitory and not correlated with long-term sick le ave, which was predicted independently, however, by a high plasma cort isol level (analysed in men) and a high depression score. Drivers in t he group with seriously injured victims were absent from work for long er periods than drivers in the groups with mildly injured or dead vict ims. PUT victims described a successively worsened psychosocial work s ituation during the 12 months of follow-up whereas the drivers in the control group described an unchanged situation.