1. Personality disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder in motor vehicle accident survivors.
- Author
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Malta LS, Blanchard EB, Taylor AE, Hickling EJ, and Freidenberg BM
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Comorbidity, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Disorders epidemiology, Personality Disorders psychology, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic diagnosis, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic epidemiology, Accidents, Traffic psychology, Personality Disorders diagnosis, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic psychology, Survivors psychology
- Abstract
This study examined the impact of a co-occurring personality disorder on the development and remission of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 158 motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors followed prospectively for 1 year. Participants were assessed 1 to 4 months after trauma and at 6-month and 1-year follow-up evaluations during 1991 through 1993. These archival data were analyzed in the present study. The prevalence of at least one personality disorder was 13.3%, with the majority (52.4%) presenting with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Persons with a personality disorder were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD at 1-year follow-up evaluation. For persons diagnosed with PTSD at the initial assessment, those with a personality disorder were significantly less likely to remit by 1 year. The presence of a preexisting personality disorder may increase the risk of chronic PTSD and impede remission.
- Published
- 2002
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