Guilt is associated with acute stress symptoms in XXXX after road traffic accidents.

@entity1 @entity14469 @entity130 @entity1005
BACKGROUND: Although previous research has consistently found considerable rates of @entity14469 ( @entity14469 ) in @entity1 with @entity130 , knowledge about determinants of @entity14469 remains incomplete. Guilt is a common reaction among @entity1 after a traumatic event and has been shown to contribute to @entity1005 . However, its relationship to @entity14469 has never been examined. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the prevalence of @entity14469 in @entity1 and adolescents following road traffic accidents (RTAs). Moreover, the association between peritraumatic guilt and @entity14469 was investigated relying on current cognitive theories of posttraumatic stress and controlling for female sex, age, socioeconomic status (SES), @entity130 , inpatient treatment, pretrauma psychopathology, and maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). METHODS: One hundred and one @entity1 and adolescents (aged 7-16 years) were assessed by means of a clinical interview approximately 10 days after an RTA. Mothers were assessed by questionnaires. RESULTS: Three @entity1 (3.0%) met diagnostic criteria for full @entity14469 according to DSM-IV, and 17 (16.8%) for @entity14469 . In a multivariate regression model, guilt was found to be a significant predictor of @entity14469 severity. Female sex, outpatient treatment, and maternal PTSS also predicted @entity14469 severity. @entity1 age, SES, @entity130 , and pretraumatic @entity1 psychopathology were not related to @entity14469 severity. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should examine the association between peritraumatic guilt and acute stress symptoms in more detail. Moreover, guilt appraisals in the acute phase after an accident might be a relevant target for clinical attention.
