Yvette Easthope

A multiple-indicator multiple-cause model for posttraumatic stress reactions : Personality, coping, and maladjustment

Objective: This study aimed to develop a multiple-indicator multiple-cause model (MIMIC) to describe the relationship among posttraumatic stress (PTSD) responses, general health problems, death anxiety, personality factors, and coping strategies among community residents exposed to the technological disasters of aircraft and train crashes. Materials and Methods: One hundred forty-eight community residents, after exposure to the aircraft or train crash, were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale, the General Health Questionnaire-28, the Death Anxiety Scale, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Ways of Coping Checklist. The control group (n = 90) comprised members of the general public, who had not been exposed to the disasters, from another city. Results: The model showed significant associations between the impact of the disaster and general health problems, which varied depending on where community residents lived in relation to the disaster site, whether they were present when the disaster occurred, and the type of disaster. The model also suggested that death anxiety was associated with type of disaster and neuroticism. The model supported the interactive model in that personality factors interacted with coping strategies in maintaining or generating PTSD and general health problems. Conclusions: After exposure to technological disasters, community residents could develop PTSD and general health problems; however, increased death anxiety was a separate psychological reaction. The interaction between certain personality traits and coping strategies was one reason for PTSD and general health problems. MIMIC = multiple-indicator multiple-cause model; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder; POWS = prisoners of war; IES = The Impact of Event Scale; GHQ-28 = The General Health Questionnaire; DAS = The Death Anxiety Scale; EPQ-R = The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-R Short Scale; WOC = The Ways of Coping Checklist; ANOVA = analysis of variance; RMSEA = root mean square error of approximation.

Traumatic stress and ways of coping of community residents exposed to a train disaster

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the degree of traumatic stress and the coping strategies employed by community residents who lived on both sides of a rail track where a train collision occurred in 1996 in Stafford, UK. The hypothesis was that there would be a high level of traumatic stress and that emotion-focused coping would be the predictor to distress. Method: This was a cross-sectional survey with a retrospective design in which 66 community residents, who lived between 30 and 100 feet away from the crash site, were interviewed. The study began approximately 7 months after the disaster. The Impact of Event Scale (IES), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Ways of Coping Checklists (WOC) were administered to the residents. Results: On the whole, the results did not entirely support the hypothesis. The residents were found to have experienced some intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviour but their mean scores were significantly lower than those of standardized samples. Thirty-five per cent scored at 4 or above on the GHQ-28. Traumatic stress was predicted by both emotionfocused and problem-focused coping strategies. Conclusion: Although community residents were not on the train or related to the dead or injured in any way, they could, after being exposed to a train disaster, manifest traumatic stress symptoms which had long-lasting effects. Such traumatic stress was found to be associated with coping strategies of community residents characterized by their efforts to manage or alter the source of stress, and by their efforts to regulate stressful emotions.

Traumatic stress and death anxiety among community residents exposed to an aircraft crash.

This article examined the relationship between traumatic stress and death anxiety among community residents who lived near woodlands in which an aircraft had crashed in Coventry, England. The hypothesis was that there would be a high level of impact of the crash experienced by residents and that the residents would experience psychological distress. It was also hypothesized that the impact of the crash and distress were associated with death anxiety. Eighty-two residents were interviewed for the study. They were asked to complete the Impact of Event Scale, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the Death Anxiety Scale. The results showed that Coventry residents were found to experience intrusive thoughts and display avoidance behavior. The residents intrusive thoughts and avoidance behavior were significantly more severe than one group of Horowitzs standardized samples (i.e., the medical students), but not significantly different from another group (i.e., the stress clinic samples). Fifty-seven percent scored at or above the GHQ cutoff point, which meant that they were considered to be psychiatric cases. Community residents scored significantly lower in death anxiety than the standardized high-death anxiety patients but no differently from the standardized control patients. Correlations were found between the impact of the event, psychological distress, and death anxiety.This article examined the relationship between traumatic stress and death anxiety among community residents who lived near woodlands in which an aircraft had crashed in Coventry, England. The hypothesis was that there would be a high level of impact of the crash experienced by residents and that the residents would experience psychological distress. It was also hypothesized that the impact of the crash and distress were associated with death anxiety. Eighty-two residents were interviewed for the study. They were asked to complete the Impact of Event Scale, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the Death Anxiety Scale. The results showed that Coventry residents were found to experience intrusive thoughts and display avoidance behavior. The residents intrusive thoughts and avoidance behavior were significantly more severe than one group of Horowitzs standardized samples (i.e., the medical students), but not significantly different from another group (i.e., the stress clinic samples). Fifty-seven percent scored at or above the GHQ cutoff point, which meant that they were considered to be psychiatric cases. Community residents scored significantly lower in death anxiety than the standardized high-death anxiety patients but no differently from the standardized control patients. Correlations were found between the impact of the event, psychological distress, and death anxiety.

The relationship between trauma and personality in victims of the boeing 737–2D6C crash in coventry

The aims of this paper were to (a) ascertain the extent of psychological distress and (b) identify the association between personality variables and psychological distress among individuals who had been exposed to an aircraft disaster in Coventry, U.K. Hundreds of people escaped death but were exposed to the impact of the disaster when a Boeing 737-2D6C 7T-VEE crashed into a woodland area on the edge of a large housing estate in Coventry, U.K. in 1994. Eighty-two residents were randomly chosen for interviews in which they were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale, the General Health Questionnaire, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-R Short Scale (EPQ-R). The results showed that the Coventry residents scores reached similar levels of intrusion and avoidance compared with standardized samples and the Lockerbie samples. Fifty-two percent reached the GHQ case level score, which was again similar to the Lockerbie residents. The Coventry residents were significantly less extroverted and neurotic than standardized samples. Stepwise multiple regression showed that there were associations between intrusion and neuroticism and intrusion and extroversion, as well as between avoidance and neuroticism.

A DESCRIPTION OF A FORENSIC DIVERSION SERVICE IN ONE CITY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

This paper describes some recent research on forensic diversion services and the application of such services in Birmingham, UK. Key components include the diversion scheme in court, diversion at point of arrest, and the remand prison liaison scheme. Various community facilities, such as a specialized bail hostel and landlady schemes to which offenders are possibly referred, are also briefly described. We advocate the need for further research in order to examine the effectiveness of the services in Birmingham.

Differentiating posttraumatic stress between elderly and younger residents

Abstract This study aimed to differentiate between the posttraumatic stress responses of elderly and younger community residents who had been exposed to two technological disasters (a train collision and an aircraft crash). One hundred and forty-eight community residents were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The results showed that age differences were not affected by impact of disaster (IES), suggesting that elderly and younger community residents responded to the disasters similarly. Instead, the community residents exposed to the aircraft crash experienced significantly more intrusion and avoidance than those exposed to the train collision. Also, the community residents who had experienced high exposure to the disasters had significantly more intrusive thoughts and exhibited significantly more avoidance behavior than the low/medium exposure group. The results also showed no main effects in general health between the elderly and younger community residents, suggesting that their health status was similar. Instead, the community residents exposed to the aircraft crash had significantly more general health problems than the train disaster residents and the control group. Also, the community residents in either the low/medium or the high exposure group experienced more general health problems than the control group. Correlation coefficients showed that intrusion, avoidance, and the total impact of the disasters were significantly correlated with all general health subscales for both elderly and younger groups.

Responses to traumatic stress among community residents exposed to a train collision

In 1996 in Stafford, UK, a collision occurred between a freight train and a post office train. While only one person died, 21 employees working on the post office train were injured. Instead of focusing on primary victims, i.e. those on the train, Or secondary victims, i.e. helpers or the significant others of the dead and injured, the present paper focused on community residents who lived on both sides of the embankment where the collision occurred. There were two aims to this paper. We wished to (1 ) describe the degree of traumatic stress of the community residents and (2) describe their traumatic responses at the time and during the aftermath of the collision. The hypothesis was that there was a significant degree of traumatic stress among these residents and that the greater the impact of the collision they experienced, the more severe their traumatic stress became. Forty-nine residents participated in the study and were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Stafford train crash questionnaire. The results showed that among the whole sample, the residents experienced more intrusive thoughts than avoidance behaviour, but then scores were significantly lower than those of the standardized stress clinic samples. Forty-one per-cent of the residents scored at or above the cutoff point of the GHQ. Two groups, high symptom and low/ medium symptom groups, were then divided, according to the cutoff of the IES, and compared. The results shows that the high symptom group scored significantly higher in the sub-scales of the IES, and the GHQ. There was indeed a tendency that the greater the impact of the collision residents experienced, the more severe the distress was.

A Follow-Up Study of Mentally Disordered Offenders after a Court Diversion Scheme: Six-Month and One-Year Comparison

The aim of this study was to investigate offenders living patterns, quality of life, types of aftercare received and psychological well-being, following their diversion from one court diversion scheme in England. Sixty-five offenders were followed up after six months, 22 of whom were also followed up after one year. Their transient living patterns throughout these two periods were described. Their quality of life was found to be poor in that most did not have an occupation, nor did they receive education, and the life experiences during both periods were lower than that of standardized urban samples. There were no significant changes in their poor life experiences over the two periods. Over 55% of the 22 offenders still contacted their GPs regularly but there was a significant drop in those consulting hospital doctors. Only a small number of offenders had contact with the social services in these two periods and no significant differences were found between them. Their GHQ total scores went above cutoff point and the level of psychiatric conditions was similar in both periods.

Traumatic Stress and Death Anxiety among Community Residents Exposed to a Train Crash

This study aimed to investigate the association between traumatic stress and death anxiety among residents who were exposed to a train crash in Stafford, England. Sixty-six community residents were interviewed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS). The results showed that the IES scores of the community residents were significantly lower than the standardized Stress Clinic samples, while they were significantly higher than the standardized medical student samples. Thirty-five percent of residents scored at or above the GHQ cutoff point. The community residents total death anxiety score was significantly higher than the standardized sample of apartment house residents and was no different from the sample of psychiatric patients. Correlation tests showed no association between death anxiety and traumatic stress. The article ended with some remarks on issues relating to data comparison.

Quality of Life and Psychological Well-Being of Mentally Disordered Offenders after Court Diversion: A 6-Month Follow-Up

This study was conducted to examine the quality of life and the psychological well-being of mentally disordered offenders 6 months after being diverted from one court diversion scheme in England. A total of 65 offenders (58 male, 7 female) participated in the study, which used the Life Experiences Checklists (LEC) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The results showed that, when compared with the data of the standardized urban samples of Ager, the quality of life of offenders was significantly lower than that of the standardized population. Further analyses demonstrated that there were significant differences in the quality of life between the offenders who lived in private households, prisons, hostels, and hospitals.