Skip to main content
Log in

Follow-Up of Young Road Accident Victims

  • Published:
Journal of Traumatic Stress

Abstract

The aim of this study was to follow-up a group of children and young people previously examined for psychological sequelae following road traffic accidents. The group was assessed 18-month postaccident to assess the severity of continuing symptoms and examine any emergence of delayed onset of posttraumatic stress reactions. Participants (N = 31) completed the Revised Impact of Event Scale and the Child Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index. Parents completed the Child Behavior Check-List and participated in a semistructured interview. Symptoms of PTSD were noted in a quarter of participants as was delayed onset of symptoms. The role of avoidance in symptom reporting and continuing disorder is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. (1991). The manual for the Child Behavior Checklist. 1991 profile. Vermont: University of Vermont.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder (4th ed., DSM—IV). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradding, A., & Horstman, M. (1999). Using the write and draw technique with children. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 3, 170–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Gallo, A., Barton, J., & Parry-Jones, W. L. (1997). Road traffic accidents: Psychological consequences in children and adolescents. British Journal of Psychiatry, 170, 358–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyregrov, A., Kuterovac, G., & Barath, A. (1996). Factor analysis of the impact of event scale with children in war. Scandanavian Journal of Psychology, 37, 339–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenspan, L., McLellan, B., & Grieg, G. (1985). Abbreviated Injury Scale and injury Severity Score: A scoring chart. Journal of Trauma, 25, 60–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heiligenstein, E., & Dietrich, M. (1993). Psychiatric management of pediatric pain. In N. Schechter, C. Berde, & M. Yaster (Eds.), Pain in infants, children and adolescents (pp. 213–217). London: Williams and Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz, M., Wilner, B., & Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of Event Scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGrath, P. A. (1993). Psychological aspects of pain perception. In N. Schechter, C. Berde, & M. Yaster (Eds.), Pain in infants, children and adolescents (pp. 39–63). London: Williams and Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milgram, N., Toubiana, Y., Klingman, A., Raviv, A., & Goldstein, I. (1988). Situational exposure and personal loss in a children's acute and chronic stress reactions to a school bus disaster. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1, 339–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza, K., Bhadrinath, B., Goodyer, I., & Gilmour, C. (1998). Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents following road traffic accidents. British Journal of Psychiatry 172, 443–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parry-Jones, W. L., & Barton, J. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 8, 227–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pynoos, R., Frederick, C., Nader, K., Arroyo, W., Steinberg, A., & Eth, S. (1987). Life threat and post-traumatic stress in school-age children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 1057–1063.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saigh, P., Green, B., & Korol, M. (1996). The history and prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder with special reference to children and adolescents. Journal of School Psychology 34, 107–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stallard, P., Velleman, R., & Baldwin, S. (1998). Recovery from post traumatic stress disorder in children following road traffic accidents: The role of talking an feeling understood. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 11, 37–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stallard, P., Velleman, R., & Baldwin, S. (2001). Prospective study of post traumatic stress disorder in children involved in road traffic accidents. BMJ, 317, 1619–1623.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marjorie L. Gillies.

About this article

Cite this article

Gillies, M.L., Barton, J. & Di Gallo, A. Follow-Up of Young Road Accident Victims. J Trauma Stress 16, 523–526 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025774915005

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025774915005

Navigation