Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been best studied among combat veterans. Less is known about PTSD among civilian populations exposed to traumatic events. A recent mass murder spree by a gunman in a cafeteria in Killeen, Tex., has provided a unique opportunity to study acute-phase civilian responses to a combat type of experience.

METHOD:

Approximately 1 month after the disaster, 136 survivors were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule/Disaster Supplement.

RESULTS:

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

This study was undertaken 1 1/2 years after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia to assess the frequency and severity of posttraumatic stress reactions among elderly and younger adult victims and to assess the relation of exposure, age, sex, and death of a family member to these reactions.

METHOD:

One hundred seventy-nine subjects of both sexes were evaluated with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Reaction Index. A subgroup of 60 individuals were also assessed for PTSD with the DSM-III-R criteria.

RESULTS:

Abstract

In the aftermath of the Lockerbie air disaster, identification of the victims (plane occupants and local residents) was established by two primary methods: odontology and dactylography. Scottish law requires corroboration of evidence of identity, so both primary methods were used whenever possible, with further evidence occasionally derived from the matching of physical characteristics, personal effects and details from past medical records. Of the 270 victims, 253 were positively identified. Of these, 209 were identified with the aid of odontology.

Abstract

This report presents an update of psychosocial research in the traumatic stress field, presenting an overview of recent studies in several areas: the epidemiology of traumatic events and of PTSD in the general adult population, other diagnoses associated with trauma exposure and PTSD, the course and longevity of PTSD symptomatology, and risk factors for the diagnosis. Other areas of increasing interest and focus are briefly noted.