Posttraumatic stress symptomatology and thought control strategies in victims of motor vehicle accidents

In a longitudinal survey 64 inpatients of an emergency clinic were examined 1 week as well as 3 months after a motor vehicle accident. Posttraumatic s tress symptoms and strategies of thought control were assessed. Ten days af ter the accident, a posttraumatic stress symptomatology is observable in 14 .1% of patients, 3 months after the accident the prevalence of posttraumati c stress disorder (PTSD) is 39.1%. Strategies of thought control are correlated with posttraumatic symptomatol ogy 10 days after the accident and after 3 months. The result of an explora tive data analysis shows an important role of the control strategies 'distr action' and 'worry' in correlation with posttraumatic stress symptoms.