Prevalence and Risk Factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Survivors of a Cohort of Road Accident Victims in Benin: Results of a 12-Month Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a frequent psychiatric complication in road accident survivors. However, it remains under-explored and is not taken into account in health policies in Benin. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of PTSD after a road traffic accident. This will help to improve its diagnosis and management in Benin hospitals.

Materials and Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to January 2021. Consenting victims of road traffic accidents from three hospitals across Benin, aged 18 years and above, living in the south of the country, were administered various questionnaires at 12-month follow-up. Data on PTSD were collected using a pre-tested, structured and standardized post-traumatic stress disorder questionnaire, the PTSD Checklist (specific version) (PCL-S). A logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with PTSD. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) followed by a 95% confidence interval was calculated to determine the level of significance with a p-value less than 0.05.

Results

Out of 865 patients in the cohort eligible for the 12-month follow-up, 734 (85%) participated in the study. The prevalence of PTSD was 26.43% (95% CI: 23.36–29.75). Factors associated with PTSD on multivariate analysis were female gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.38–3.33), hospitalization (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.21–2.89), negative impact of the accident on income (AOR = 4.22, 95% CI: 2.16–8.25), and no return to work (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.99–5.06).

Conclusion

The prevalence of PTSD is high in road accident survivors in Benin. The results of this study highlight the need for early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach to the management of PTSD patients in Benin’s hospitals.

Keywords:

• PTSD
• prevalence
• risk factors
• road accident survivors

Abbreviations

K-CIDI, The Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview; WHO, World Health Organization; PCLS, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (specific version); ReMPARt, Multidisciplinary Research for the Prevention of Road Accidents; PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; SD, Standard Deviation; TSQ, Trauma Screening Questionnaire.

Ethics Approval

This study is part of a doctoral thesis. Due to the absence of an ethics committee at the Regional Institute of Public Health (IRSP) in Ouidah, the study protocol was submitted and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Parakou (Benin), one of the three ethics committees in Benin, under the reference 0182/CLERB-UP/P/SP/R/SA. At recruitment and follow-up, participants were informed of the purpose of the study and of their right to agree or not to participate in the study without compromising their right to care. They could also withdraw from the study at any time. Participation in the cohort was conditional on the patient or a relative signing a free and informed consent form. Patient privacy and confidentiality were respected at all stages of this study, and data were treated as confidential. The present study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Acknowledgments

We thank the patients of the TraumAR cohort who freely agreed to participate in the 12-month follow-up, the investigators, the focal points, and the staff of the hospitals involved.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest for this study/work.