Increased psychological distress remains elevated in SCI , mTBI and WAD for at least 3 years post-MVC .
OBJECTIVE The aim of this meta- analysis was to determine the psychological impact associated with motor vehicle crash (MVC)-related physical injuries .
The development of psychological changes following whiplash injury
& NA ; Psychological distress is a feature of chronic whiplash‐associated disorders , but little is known of psychological changes from soon after injury to either recovery or symptom persistence . This study prospect ively measured psychological distress ( General Health Question naire 28 , GHQ‐28 ) , fear of movement/re‐injury ( TAMPA Scale of Kinesphobia , TSK ) , acute post‐traumatic stress ( Impact of Events Scale , IES ) and general health and well being ( Short Form 36 , SF‐36 ) in 76 whiplash subjects within 1 month of injury and then 2 , 3 and 6 months post‐injury . Subjects were classified at 6 months post‐injury using scores on the Neck Disability Index : recovered ( < 8 ) , mild pain and disability ( 10–28 ) or moderate/severe pain and disability ( > 30 ) . All whiplash groups demonstrated psychological distress ( GHQ‐28 , SF‐36 ) to some extent at 1 month post‐injury . Scores of the recovered group and those with persistent mild symptoms returned to levels regarded as normal by 2 months post‐injury , parallelling a decrease in reported pain and disability . Scores on both these tests remained above threshold levels in those with ongoing moderate/severe symptoms . The moderate/severe and mild groups showed elevated TSK scores at 1 month post‐injury . TSK scores decreased by 2 months in the group with residual mild symptoms and by 6 months in those with persistent moderate/severe symptoms . Elevated IES scores , indicative of a moderate post‐traumatic stress reaction , were unique to the group with moderate/severe symptoms . The results of this study demonstrated that all those experiencing whiplash injury display initial psychological distress that decreased in those whose symptoms subside . Whiplash participants who reported persistent moderate/severe symptoms at 6 months continue to be psychologically distressed and are also characterised by a moderate post‐traumatic stress reaction
Increased psychological distress remains elevated in SCI , mTBI and WAD for at least 3 years post-MVC .
OBJECTIVE The aim of this meta- analysis was to determine the psychological impact associated with motor vehicle crash (MVC)-related physical injuries .