Post-traumatic stress disorder in an anxiety disorder unit and in a victims support association

The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents an original and frequent pathological entity concerning people confronted with one or more significant traumatic events. We present here a comparative study concerning subjects who, present a post-traumatic stress disorder received in an anxiety disorder unit (ADU) or in a victims support association (VSA). One hundred and twenty seven people have been included in the study, according to DSMIV for PTSD, during three,years. Fifty-seven came from a victim support association, 54 came from an anxiety disorder unit and 16 were common to both structures. The PCL-S (PTSD Checklist Scale) was used to rate the intensity of the PTSD. Age, sex, marital statute, type of traumatism, comorbidity and previous traumatisms were compared. PCLS scores were equivalent in the two settings. More women, younger subjects and more aggression were received in the victim support association. In the anxiety disorder unit more psychiatric comorbidity and more frequent antecedents of traumatism were seen. In the whole sample, two thirds of the people lived alone. Our results show that a victim support association receives people suffering from a definite post-traumatic stress disorder as intense on the PCL-S as in an anxiety disorder unit. More work has to be done on support association in the community, as they are confronted with significant PTSD problems.