The capacity of acute stress disorder to predict posttraumatic psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Background: One rationale for establishing the acute stress disorder diagnosis was to identify recently trauma-exposed people who may develop later posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study conducted a multi-site assessment of the extent to which ASD predicts subsequent PTSD, and also major depressive disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, specific phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder, 12 months after trauma. Method: Consecutive admissions to 5 major trauma hospitals across Australia (N=1084) were assessed during hospital admission and within one month of trauma exposure and subsequently re-assessed for psychiatric disorder 12 months after th..