PSYCHOSOCIAL-ASPECTS OF ACCIDENTAL INJURIES - AN OVERVIEW

This paper reviews the current ''state of the art'' with regard to psy cho-traumatological issues in accidentally injured patients. A MEDLINE search (1985-1995) yielded a total of 135 references, out of which 60 publications were selected and reviewed. The body of knowledge about the psyche-social effects of serious injuries caused by accidents seem s to be still limited. There are indications that accidents leave many patients suffering from not only the physical consequences but also c onsiderable psychological problems. A frequent clinical manifestation of such problems is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but depress ion, anxiety and the somatoform disorder have also been observed, poss ibly even more frequently. There have been substantial discrepancies i n epidemiological data in the literature, partially because the sample s analyzed so far have not been homogeneous enough. It is also obvious that studies have been devoted almost exclusively to disorders and ha ndicaps following (and occasionally prior to) the traumatic event. Sel dom has the study focused on patient resources: practically no studies exist on the effects of protective psyche-social factors on the heali ng process following accidental injuries. More research is needed in o rder to be able to make predictions on the expected healing of patient s during the acute stage of treatment following an accident. These fut ure studies should deliver information on identifying high-risk patien ts who would require specific psyche-social intervention.