Psychological Debriefing for Road Traffic Accident Victims: Three-Year Follow-Up of a Randomised Controlled Trial

2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-312
Author(s):  
R. A. Mayou ◽  
A. Ehlers ◽  
M. Hobbs
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Road Traffic Accident ◽  
Traffic Accident ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Psychological Debriefing ◽  
Randomised Controlled

scholarly journals Psychological debriefing for road traffic accident victims

2000 ◽  
Vol 176 (6) ◽  
pp. 589-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Mayou ◽  
A. Ehlers ◽  
M. Hobbs
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Road Traffic Accident ◽  
Traffic Accident ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Psychological Debriefing ◽  
Trauma Victims ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundPsychological debriefing is widely used for trauma victims but there is uncertainty about its efficacy. We have previously reported a randomised controlled trial which concluded that at 4 months it was ineffective.AimsTo evaluate the 3-year outcome in a randomised controlled trial of debriefing for consecutive subjects admitted to hospital following a road traffic accident.MethodPatients were assessed in hospital by the Impact of Event Scale (IES), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and questionnaire and re-assessed at 3 months and 3 years. The intervention was psychological debriefing as recommended and described in the literature.ResultsThe intervention group had a significantly worse outcome at 3 years in terms of general psychiatric symptoms (BSI), travel anxiety when being a passenger, pain, physical problems, overall level of functioning, and financial problems. Patients who initially had high intrusion and avoidance symptoms (IES) remained symptomatic if they had received the intervention, but recovered if they did not receive the intervention.ConclusionsPsychological debriefing is ineffective and has adverse long-term effects. It is not an appropriate treatment for trauma victims.

Randomised controlled trial of psychological debriefing for victims of acute burn trauma

1997 ◽  
Vol 171 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan I. Bisson ◽  
Peter L. Jenkins ◽  
Julie Alexander ◽  
Carol Bannister
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychological Sequelae ◽  
Burn Trauma ◽  
Psychological Debriefing ◽  
Initial Questionnaire ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BackgroundPsychological debriefing (PD) is widely used following major traumatic events in an attempt to reduce psychological sequelae.MethodOne hundred and thirty-three adult burn trauma victims entered the study. After initial questionnaire completion, participants were randomly allocated to an individual/couple PD group or a control group who received no intervention; 110 (83%) were interviewed by an assessor blind to PD status three and 13 months later.ResultsSixteen (26%) of the PD group had PTSD at 13-month follow-up, compared with four (9%) of the control group. The PD group had higher initial questionnaire scores and more severe dimensions of burn trauma than the control group, both of which were associated with a poorer outcome.ConclusionsThis study seriously questions the wisdom of advocating one-off interventions post-trauma, and should stimulate research into more effective initiatives.

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