Mental health outcomes in road traffic accident survivors: prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Mental health outcomes of road traffic accidents (RTAs) are always investigated amongst the injured. The aim of this study was to investigate psychological consequences and associated factors in all RTA survivors irrelevant of their injury status. Methods A cohort of 200 Croatian RTA survivors was assessed one month after experiencing a RTA using the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist for civilians, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The New Injury Severity Scale was used for the injury severity assessment. Results RTA survivors reported substantial rates of PTSD (35.5%) and depression (20.0%) symptoms, and low rates of anxiety (4.5%). Symptoms of depression were associated with under-average self-perceived economic status (SES) (P = 0.001), irreligiousness (P = 0.001), medication use (P