Are whiplash injuries associated with psychological variables?
While physical whiplash symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain are suffered by many following car accidents, medical professional have noted psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety and in those suffering whiplash injuries. Read more about signs and symptoms of whiplash injury.
In order to find out more about whether a whiplash injury can actually trigger psychological symptoms, a study entitled Course of Psychological Variables in Whiplash Injury was carried out by Radanov et al (1996).
A sample was obtained by announcing the study in the Swiss Medical Journal and by distribution of letters to primary care physicians in a particular catchment area consisting of around 800,000 people. Physicians were asked to refer whiplash injury patients if they fitted the following criteria:
- They had sustained a whiplash injury according to the following definition: "a medical trauma leading to musculoligamental sprain or strain of the cervical spine as a result of hyperflexion/hypertension, without fractures or dislocations."
- German was their native language.
- They were less than 55-years-old.
- They had suffered no trauma to any other parts of their body, in particular a head injury, head impact or traumatic loss of consciousness.
- They did not have a history of neurological dysfunctions such as neuralgia or Multiple Sclerosis.
The aim of the study was to investigate the psychological effects of a whiplash injury as soon as possible after the injury occurred and then at three, six, 12 and 24 months. Read more about the diagnosis and prognosis of whiplash injury.
All participants underwent a psychological assessment which included a self-rated well-being test. An examination of personality traits using the Freiburg Personality inventory was also carried out which considered: nervousness, spontaneous aggressiveness, depression, excitability, social withdrawal, irritability, reactive aggressiveness, inhibition, closed-mindedness, extraversion, neuroticism and passivity.
The main findings of this study were that:
- Personality traits such as neuroticism do not appear of primary relevance for the course of whiplash injury recovery.
- Psychological symptoms observed during the course of post-traumatic conditions such as whiplash injury are likely to be dependent on somatic symptoms, such as becoming irritable because you have a neck ache.
- Impaired psychological functioning observed in retrospective studies, which was interpreted as the cause of poor recovery, may have reflected the consequence of traumatic injury.
Making a whiplash compensation claim today
If you have sustained a whiplash injury as a result of a car accident or any other accident that wasn't your fault then you may be entitled to make a no win no fee personal injury claim.
We know that a whiplash injury can be both painful and distressing and we will talk you through each stage of your compensation claim, offering free legal advice. But we will avoid using legal jargon to ensure the claims process completely hassle free.
Our personal injury solicitors boast a fantastic claim success rate and can help you to claim for pain and suffering and also help to recover costs for medical expenses such as prescriptions and trips to and from the hospital.
To find out more about how you can make a no win no fee whiplash injury claim just give us a call on 0800 197 32 32.
