A comparison of posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans with and without spinal cord injury

J Abnorm Psychol. 1998 Nov;107(4):676-80. doi: 10.1037//0021-843x.107.4.676.

Abstract

The authors assessed effects of paraplegic and quadriplegic spinal cord injuries (SCIs) on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by comparing severity and prevalence of PTSD in these groups to a sample of controls who experienced traumatic injuries other than SCI. The authors found that veterans with quadriplegia reported significantly less severe current PTSD symptoms than controls who were not significantly different from veterans with paraplegia. These results suggest that sustaining a quadriplegic SCI decreases risk of current PTSD, whereas sustaining a paraplegic SCI is associated with greater risk of PTSD, although the risk is no greater than that incurred from experiencing the trauma itself.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Arousal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Paraplegia / psychology
  • Prevalence
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Quadriplegia / psychology
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / complications*
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / psychology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / etiology*
  • Veterans*