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Uncovering the Connection: PTSD and Road Accidents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

S. Bellafqih*
Affiliation:
Hôpital Arrazi, CHU Ibn Sina, Salé, Morocco
Y. El Fatmaoui
Affiliation:
Hôpital Arrazi, CHU Ibn Sina, Salé, Morocco
S. Belbachir
Affiliation:
Hôpital Arrazi, CHU Ibn Sina, Salé, Morocco
A. Ouanas
Affiliation:
Hôpital Arrazi, CHU Ibn Sina, Salé, Morocco
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur after a traumatic event. It results in mental suffering and physical complications that profoundly alter personal, social, and professional life.

One can develop PTSD after experiencing a frightening event, for example: rape, the death of a loved one, war veterans, or following a car accident. In Morocco, traffic accidents cause, on average, nearly 3,500 deaths and 12,000 serious injuries per year.

Objectives

Our main purpose is to evaluate the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients who are victims of traffic accidents and to identify key risk factors in the general population.

Methods

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study through a questionnaire shared on social networks including a socio-demographic description, a clinical description, and the “Peri-traumatic Distress Inventory (PDI)” Scale to evaluate the risk of developing PTSD.

Results

This study is based on 48 participants with 82.8% of females and 17.2% of men. The average age was 27.6. Most of the participants lived in urban areas (93%), a majority had higher education (93.1%), and 41.4% of the candidates had a physical impact of the accident.

According to PDI scale, 65% showed PTSD and the average score was 20.3. A score of 15 and above indicates significant distress.

Conclusions

Our results confirm the presence of PTSD in victims of accidents. We propose a clinical reflection on the possible improvement of the care of people suffering from PTSD following a public road accident.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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