The psychiatric outcome of whiplash neck injury is controversial. The aim of this study was to describe outcomes and predictors as compared with other types of road accident injury. Consecutive patients (n=1441) aged 17-69 years who attented the hospital following a road traffic accident (vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians) over a 1-year period were approached to take part in this study. The results showed that moderate to sever pain was reported by 27% of whiplash sufferers at 1 year and by 30% at 3 years. Psychiatric consequences were common and persistent. Whiplash victims and those with bony injury were more likely to seek compensation. Accident and early post-accident psychosocial variables predicted the pain at 1 year. Claiming compensation at 3 months predicted the pain at 1 year for those with whiplash or bony injury. It was concluded that there is no special prychiatry of whiplash neck injury. Psychological variables and consequences are imporatnt following whiplash in a similar manner to other types of injury. (A)
Abstract