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Identifying crime victims who are at high risk for post traumatic stress disorder: developing a practical referral
T Wohlfarth1, F W Winkel, W Van Den Brink
1Department of Clinical Psychology, Free University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. t.wohlfarth@planet.nl
Objective:
To construct a practical instrument for the identification and referral of crime victims who are at high risk for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Method:
Crime victims filing a complaint at a police station were asked to fill out a questionnaire probing risk factors for PTSD (n=126). One and 3 months later, these victims filled out a self-report version of the PTSD Symptom Scale (PSS-SR).
Results:
The combination of four items predicted persistent PTSD with a sensitivity of 1.00 and a specificity of 0.62. The items were: being victims of a violent crime, knowing the perpetrator, experiencing the results of the crime as worse than was expected, and blaming oneself for the event. Only 25% of PTSD cases received emotional support from a victim assistance organization.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates that early detection of high-risk victims and their referral to treatment is both necessary and possible.