In the current series of 1100 consecutive survivors, attending an Accident and Emergency Department of a British hospital over a one-year period, preliminary analysis of the data indicate that about 16%, who were not injured, were having difficulty with work and/or daily tasks one year later, and 20% considered their quality of life worse than before their accident. This chapter describes these difficulties and what they meant to the individuals concerned, and identifies some common themes from their descriptions of their experiences. It is based mainly on interviews with the first 50 vehicle occupants admitted to hospital, of whom 30 were injured, and the other 20 were admitted for observation because of the combined speed of the impact. Being unable to work, and the associated financial hardship, were the most devastating effects on daily life mentioned by injured workers. Psychological factors like mood disturbance were mentioned more often by the uninjured than the injured. Four of the injured could no longer continue the sports in which they had been active, and their social life suffered as a result. About 20% of those interviewed reported worse personal relationships. Several people had lower self-esteem and self-image, for example from scarring, even when only minor, and this reduced their quality of life.
Abstract