In the present multi-centre study, a prospective survey involving victims of road traffic accidents who were hospitalized in an acute hospital has been carried out. The aim of the survey was above all to gain information about the frequency of mental abnormalities and to investigate factors influencing the development of psychological pain, these in terms of protective and risk factors. The inquiry with victims took place at three measurement points: at the beginning of the in-patient treatment (T1, n=226), when leaving the clinic (T2, n=20) and between six and twelve month after the accident (T3, n=189; T1+T3, n=160). The data were collected by means of interview, questionnaire and excerpts from medical records. Prevalence of mental Abnormalities: The investigated sample shows an abnormality rate of about 25%: every fourth accident casualty suffers from serious psychological problems (fear, depression or PTSD). For a significant part of the persons concerned, those symptoms are persistent. Patients with mental encumbrances are particularly frequently affected. Risk and protective Factors: In regard of the investigated pre-trauma factors (overall satisfaction, current and previous stresses, measuring tool: unpublished questionnaire; competence and control beliefs, measuring tool: FKK; social support, measuring tool: F-SozU), the majority of patients seem to have good prerequisites for mentally and effectively coping with the traffic accident they’ve experienced. However, a small number of them obtained abnormal values in the employed tests. These accident casualties must be considered as patients at risk, i.e. the probability of getting sick as a result of the accident is high for them. Current and previous burdens, internal and external control beliefs as well as a decrease of the received social support received during the year after the accident seem here to be particularly significant. The basic conditions of the accident (e.g. type of transport, road and weather conditions) and witnessing the accident occurrence (e.g. \"I saw the accident coming.\"") were collected as peritraumatic factors as well as peritraumatic dissociation (PDEQ) and stress disorder (PTSD). In the synopsis of the results
Abstract