The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high school
Background: School killings attract immense media and public attention but psychological studies surrounding these events are rare. Objective: To examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and possible risk factors of PTSD in 320 Danish high school students (mean age 18 years) 7...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2013-01-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/19826/pdf_1 |
| _version_ | 1828426687102058496 |
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| author | Ask Elklit Sessel Kurdahl |
| author_facet | Ask Elklit Sessel Kurdahl |
| author_sort | Ask Elklit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: School killings attract immense media and public attention but psychological studies surrounding these events are rare. Objective: To examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and possible risk factors of PTSD in 320 Danish high school students (mean age 18 years) 7 months after witnessing a young man killing his former girlfriend in front of a large audience. Method: The students answered the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), the Crisis Support Scale (CSS), and the Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC). Results: Prevalence of PTSD 7 months after the incident was 9.5%. Furthermore, 25% had PTSD at a subclinical level. Intimacy with the deceased girl; feeling fear, helplessness, or horror during the killing; lack of expressive ability; feeling let down by others; negative affectivity; and dissociation predicted 78% of the variance of the HTQ total scores. Conclusion: It is possible to identify students who are most likely to suffer from PTSD. This knowledge could be used to intervene early on to reduce adversities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:50:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-11dff7dc75ed45978a12ffcda2ac1d4d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:50:01Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-11dff7dc75ed45978a12ffcda2ac1d4d2022-12-22T01:40:55ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662013-01-01401710.3402/ejpt.v4i0.19826The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high schoolAsk ElklitSessel KurdahlBackground: School killings attract immense media and public attention but psychological studies surrounding these events are rare. Objective: To examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and possible risk factors of PTSD in 320 Danish high school students (mean age 18 years) 7 months after witnessing a young man killing his former girlfriend in front of a large audience. Method: The students answered the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), the Crisis Support Scale (CSS), and the Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC). Results: Prevalence of PTSD 7 months after the incident was 9.5%. Furthermore, 25% had PTSD at a subclinical level. Intimacy with the deceased girl; feeling fear, helplessness, or horror during the killing; lack of expressive ability; feeling let down by others; negative affectivity; and dissociation predicted 78% of the variance of the HTQ total scores. Conclusion: It is possible to identify students who are most likely to suffer from PTSD. This knowledge could be used to intervene early on to reduce adversities.http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/19826/pdf_1witnessing school killingPTSDsocial supportrisk factors |
| spellingShingle | Ask Elklit Sessel Kurdahl The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high school European Journal of Psychotraumatology witnessing school killing PTSD social support risk factors |
| title | The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high school |
| title_full | The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high school |
| title_fullStr | The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high school |
| title_full_unstemmed | The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high school |
| title_short | The psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a Danish high school |
| title_sort | psychological reactions after witnessing a killing in public in a danish high school |
| topic | witnessing school killing PTSD social support risk factors |
| url | http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/19826/pdf_1 |
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