Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in patients with spinal dislocation fracture caused by road accidents

Car accidents are one of the most common causes of traumatic mental disorders. This study was done to evaluate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with lumbar spinal dislocation fractures caused by road accidents.

This case-control study was performed on 100 patients with lumbar spine dislocation fractures due to road accidents. After the seventh day, they were admitted to the orthopedic and trauma wards of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari. It was done six months after hospitalization. Data collected from 100 non-injured individuals using the Marmar and Weiss Revised Event Impact Questionnaire (Impact of Event Scale - Revised: IES-R) were compared.

There was no statistically significant relationship between PTSD and age, sex, marital status, education of the two groups. In all subscales related to the effect of the event, ie avoidance, disturbing thoughts, and over stimulation indices, the mean score of the participants in the case group was significantly higher than the mean scores of the individuals in the control group (P<0.05). The mean in case group was significantly higher than the mean in the control group (P<0.05).

The results of this study indicate the important role of road accidents in the formation of PTSD symptoms.