The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Accident Fear Questionnaire (AFQ; K. Kuch, B.J. Cox & D.M. Direnfeld, 1995), a self-rated instrument developed for efficient screening of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobic avoidance after involvement in a motor vehicle accident (MVA). Participants were one hundred thirteen individuals receiving rehabilitation after an MVA. Main measures were the AFQ, comprising a 10-item accident profile and a 10-item phobic avoidance (PA) subscale; a structured clinical interview; and other self-report measures of psychopathology, personality and pain. Correlations between the AFQ-PA total score and measures of psychopathology and personality indicated adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Patients diagnosed with PTSD or accident phobia scored higher on the AFQ-PA subscale and 6 of its 10 items than did those with neither diagnosis. An AFQ-PA cut-off score of 15 appears suitable for screening of patients in a rehabilitation setting. Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that the AFQ-PA was the only self-report measure that possessed incremental power over and above general negative affectivity in predicting group membership. It is concluded that the AFQ possesses reasonable potential for very brief screening of clinically significant PTSD and phobic avoidance after an MVA. (A)
Abstract