Posttraumatic stress symptoms following near-death experiences.
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry January 1, 2001 DOI: 10.1037/0002-9432.71.3.368 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Persons who report near-death experiences and those who came close to death without NDEs |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 71 |
| Key findings | People with NDEs report more intrusive PTSD symptoms than those without NDEs, but not more avoidance symptoms, and the positive affect of NDEs may mitigate later PTSD symptoms. |
Abstract
Persons who report "near-death experiences" (NDEs) acknowledge more intrusive symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than those who came close to death without NDEs, but not more avoidance symptoms, suggesting a nonspecific stress response. Although dissociation generally increases vulnerability to PTSD, the positive affect that distinguishes NDEs from other dissociative experiences may mitigate subsequent PTSD symptoms.