Posttraumatic stress symptoms in nonexposed, victims, and spontaneous rescuers after an avalanche

• Published in: Journal of traumatic stress Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 133 - 140
• Main Authors: Johnsen, Bjørn Helge, Eid, Jarle, Løstad, Terje, Michelsen, Leif Tore
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.01.1997; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Armed Forces; Avalanche; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; coping; disaster; Disasters; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Internal-External Control; Medical sciences; Military Personnel; Military Personnel - psychology; Natural Disasters; Norway; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Rescue Work; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Snow; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survival - psychology; Symptoms; Victims; victims rescuers; Norway; Human; Symptomatology; Posttraumatic syndrome; Follow up study; Anxiety disorder; Evolution; Exposure; Coping; Psychological effect; Avalanche; Stress
• ISSN: 0894-9867; 1573-6598
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.2490100113

A company from the Norwegian Army was investigated 2 weeks and 4 months after they were hit by an avalanche during a winter exercise. The subjects were divided into victims, spontaneous rescuers, and nonexposed subjects. The results showed that exposed subjects (victims and rescuers) reported higher levels of symptoms compared to nonexposed subjects. No differences were found among exposed subjects. The level of symptoms was also higher than comparable previous research both on victims and professional rescuers or nonprofessionals assigned a role as rescuers. All groups showed decrement in symptoms on the 4‐month follow‐up.