Initial posttraumatic urinary cortisol levels predict subsequent PTSD symptoms in motor vehicle accident victims

Background: This study was designed to examine the relationship between urinary hormone levels collected upon admission to the trauma unit following a motor vehicle accident and posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology 1 month later. Methods: Fifteen-hour urine samples were collected from 63 mal...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological psychiatry (1969) 2000-11, Vol.48 (9), p.940-947
Main Authors: Delahanty, Douglas L, Raimonde, A.Jay, Spoonster, Eileen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents, Traffic - psychology
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Catecholamines - urine
Depression
Female
Humans
Hydrocortisone - urine
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Mood disorders
neuroendocrine
posttraumatic stress disorder
Predictive Value of Tests
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - urine
Urinary cortisol
Wounds and Injuries - urine
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: This study was designed to examine the relationship between urinary hormone levels collected upon admission to the trauma unit following a motor vehicle accident and posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology 1 month later. Methods: Fifteen-hour urine samples were collected from 63 male and 36 female motor vehicle accident victims and were used to assess levels of catecholamines and cortisol reflecting peritraumatic and acute-phase posttraumatic levels. Presence of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology was assessed 1 month after the accident. Results: Motor vehicle accident victims subsequently diagnosed with acute posttraumatic stress disorder excreted significantly lower levels of cortisol in 15-hour urines collected upon admission to the hospital. In addition, urinary levels of cortisol predicted a significant percentage of the variance in intrusive and avoidant thoughts 1 month after the accident. Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that initial cortisol levels in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event contribute, in part, to subsequent symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.
ISSN:0006-3223
1873-2402
DOI:10.1016/S0006-3223(00)00896-9