Seven traffic accident victims were interviewed to discuss the social and psychological impact of the accident on them and their families. The long term social and psychological consequences of these accidents are difficult to measure. Lacking objective measures, this study relied upon people's own assessments of the changes they have undergone since the accident. In addition, because this was a feasibility study, not enough people were interviewed to allow for statistically defensible generalizations. Given these considerations, the following observations can be made: There was a signficant difficulty in locating appropriate people to be interviewed. People willing to be interviewed talked extensively about the impact of the accident in such areas as finances, work, recreation, and their families. People were occasionally reticent to talk about sensitive aspects of the accident such as emotional difficulties. Abbreviated injury scale (AIS) and Injury Summation Scores (ISS) were not always adequate indicators of long term personal consequences. One person interviewed, whose most serious injury was AIS 3, had far fewer social repercussions from the accident than the other AIS 3, and one of the two AIS 2s. Lower AIS level injuries can have extensive social repercussions. One of the people interviewed received on AIS 2 back injury which caused much discomfort and required curtailing of activities over a long period of time.
Abstract