Dooley E, Gunn J
Department of Justice, Dublin.
Br J Psychiatry. 1995 Aug;167(2):233-7. doi: 10.1192/bjp.167.2.233.
In March 1987, the P&O car ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsized killing 193 passengers. Seventy-five survivors and relatives were referred by their solicitors to the authors for assessment of psychological injury.
Information was gathered retrospectively and systematically from clinical notes and legal reports.
The commonest symptoms suffered were sleep disturbance, loss of concentration and increased anger. The commonest diagnoses were post-traumatic stress disorder, other anxiety states and depression. Depressive symptoms were commoner in those who had been bereaved, anxiety symptoms were commoner in those who had not. Reluctance to discuss symptoms and to attend a psychiatric clinic was a common feature.
As expected, bereavement led to grief and depressive symptoms, whilst passengers who were not bereaved were more likely to suffer anxiety symptoms. Contrary to expectations, the degree of immersion during the accident did not influence the type or degree of symptoms. Those with worse symptoms were more likely to attend the clinic. Women showed more affective symptoms and men more substance abuse.
1987年3月，P&O汽车渡轮“自由企业先驱号”倾覆，导致193名乘客死亡。75名幸存者及亲属经律师转介至作者处，以评估心理损伤情况。
通过回顾性研究，从临床记录和法律报告中系统收集信息。
最常见的症状为睡眠障碍、注意力不集中和易怒。最常见的诊断为创伤后应激障碍、其他焦虑状态和抑郁症。丧亲者中抑郁症状更为常见，未丧亲者中焦虑症状更为常见。不愿讨论症状及不愿前往精神科诊所就诊是一个普遍特征。
正如预期的那样，丧亲导致悲伤和抑郁症状，而未丧亲的乘客更易出现焦虑症状。与预期相反，事故中的受困程度并未影响症状类型或程度。症状较重者更有可能前往诊所就诊。女性表现出更多情感症状，男性则更多存在药物滥用问题。
