[Factors associated to the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder].

INTRODUCTION

Motor vehicle accidents appear to increase the risk of severe psychiatric morbidity in survivors.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

We have studied retrospectively a population of 2,885 people who suffered an automobile accident in the city of Sabadell (Spain) in 1998. From these, we randomly selected a sample of fifty people who had developed PTSD, and a control group including the same amount of people.

RESULTS

We reviewed the clinical and demographic differences in both samples and we found out that female gender and previous psychiatric morbidity are strongly related to the onset and course of PTSD.