[Clinical and psychometric study of post-traumatic stress disorders following acts of violence]

Fifty victims of assaults and hold-ups underwent a medical and psychological examination in order to assess the semiological and psychometric features of post-traumatic stress disorder: 27 males and 23 females with a mean age of 41 years were examined 18 months after the traumatic event. The following semiology was observed: excitability, phobic avoidance, distrust, recurrent traumatic nightmares, difficulties in concentration, impaired memory, dysphoric mood, hyperfatigability, recurrent recollection of the traumatic event, headache, middle and terminal sleep disturbances and neurovegetative hyperreactivity. Testing demonstrated anxious and depressive troubles and moderate cognitive disturbances. Statistical study showed no correlation between type of aggression (psychological trauma with or without concomitant physical component) and cognitive and psycho-affective variables. Most of the cognitive disturbances were correlated with the severity of anxiety and depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder also perturbed the work capacity: only 8 patients resumed previous activities after a lapse of time of 1-54 months.