POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AMONG MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT SURVIVORS ATTENDING THE ORTHOPAEDIC AND TRAUMA CLINIC AT KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL, NAIROBI

Objectives: To determine the prevalence rate of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated risk factors among motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors attending the orthopaedic and trauma clinic at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi. Subjects: One hundred and ninety seven adult males and sixty seven female patients. Method: The 264 patients were interviewed using a questionnaire to collect the socio-demographic data, the Self Rating Questionnaire (SRQ) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Diagnosis was made using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV). Results: The mean age was 34.63 ± 12.71 years (range 18-65). Overall, the prevalence rate of PTSD was 13.3%. None of the cases had been previously diagnosed as having PTSD. Females had a higher rate of 17.9 % (n = 67), compared to the males 11.7% (n=197). The majority of those with PTSD (42.9%) were young, 20- 29 years. Other risk factors were having post-primary education (62.9%), experiencing the first moto