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Medium-Term Course of Disaster Victims

A Naturalistic Follow-Up

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

C. Duggan  and
J. Gunn
C. Duggan*
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham Department of Psychiatry
J. Gunn
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
Professor Gunn, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF. Fax: (0171) 277 0283
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Abstract

Background

Our aim was to describe the medium-term course (2–3 years) in a series of victims who had experienced severe trauma.

Method

We selected a consecutive series of 31 trauma victims and applied a structured clinical schedule (CAPS-2) to their psychiatric evaluations prepared for the court on two separate occasions approximately one year apart.

Results

Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression were the commonest diagnoses, occurring in 39% and 16% of the victims respectively when they were first assessed. Most had improved between the assessments and this was especially the case for the re-experiencing of the trauma and over-arousal, but less so for avoidance; 20% of subjects showed no improvement, often being handicapped by secondary psychiatric illness.

Conclusion

Traumatised victims generally showed recovery in the 2–3 years after the trauma, but this was slow and was not universal.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 2 , August 1995 , pp. 228 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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