Peritraumatic dissociation following motor vehicle accidents - Relationship to prior trauma and prior major depression

Individuals who dissociate at the time of a traumatic event (peritraumatic dissociation) are more likely to develop acute and chronic posttraumatic st ress disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about who is at risk of peri traumatic dissociation. Motor vehicle accident subjects (N = 122) were syst ematically recruited and followed over 12 months. We used the Structured Cl inical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) and the Peritraumatic Dissociative Ex periences Questionnaire-Rater Version (PDEQ-RV). Younger subjects were more likely to experience peritraumatic dissociation as were white versus nonwh ites, and single versus married subjects. Younger subjects reported a great er number of peritraumatic dissociative symptoms as did subjects with an in jured passenger. After adjusting for age and passenger injury, prior major depression was significantly related to more peritraumatic dissociative sym ptoms. An interaction of age and prior major depression indicated that thos e who were younger and reported a history of major depression had the great est number of peritraumatic dissociative symptoms.