Peritraumatic reactions and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms after psychiatric admission

The present study aimed to explore exposure to stressful events during a psychiatric admission and the predictive power of peritraumatic distress and dissociation in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after exposure to such events. Psychiatric inpatients (N = 239) were asked to report exposure to stressful events during their admission within 48 hours of being admitted. Individuals reporting at least one stressful event during admission (n = 70, 29%) were assessed for peritraumatic dissociation and distress in relation to this event and, 5 weeks later, were reassessed for PTSD symptoms. Eight participants (12.3%) scored above the cutoff for probable PTSD. Multiple regression analyses revealed that peritraumatic distress was a significant predictor of 5-week PTSD symptoms. Our findings suggest that individuals experiencing increased peritraumatic distress in relation to a stressful event experienced during a psychiatric admission might be at risk of PTSD symptoms and might benefit from increased attention.