Degree of exposure and peritraumatic dissociation as determinants of PTSD symptoms in the aftermath of the Ghislenghien gas explosion

Table 1 PTSD criteria satisfied after the Ghislenghien disaster (DSM IV, 1994)

	T1 : After 5 months		T2 : After 14 months		p-value χ-test
	N = 1027	% valid	N = 579	% valid
Criterion A1 : objective exposure	1012	98.6	541	98.9
Criterion A2 : subjective exposure	897	91.3%	485	92.2
Intense fear	503	56.8%
Powerlessness	745	81.0%
Horror	683	74.9%
Criterion B : Intrusions	978	99.9%	571	99.8%	ns
Criterion C : Avoidance	87	9.0%	48	8.4%	.0001
Criterion D : Hyperactivation	340	34.5%	189	32.9%	.0001
Criterion E : Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in B, C, D)
Duration of symptoms > 1 month	503	51.9	303	52.6%	.0001
Current presence of symptoms	350	36.6	219	38.0%	.0001
Criterion F : Dysfunctioning	251	25.9%	103	18.3%	.0001
Current full PTSD pattern	54	6.0%	32	6.6%
Resolved PTSD pattern at T1	6	.7%
Resolved PTSD pattern at T2	--	--	14	3.0%
Delayed PTSD pattern after T1	--	--	16	3.7%
No PTSD pattern			444	90.6%

ISSN: 2049-3258