The comparison of acute and delayed psychological effects of motor vehicle accidents in individuals referred to Imam Hossein Hospital of Shahroud in 2004

Psychological complaints are common after motor vehicle accidents (MVA) and might be strong predictors for long term complications and problems of the accidents. This study was performed to compare the acute and delayed psychological complications of MVA in Shahroud. The sample consisted of 42 MVA victims selected by unrandomized sampling from those referred to Imam Hossein hospital. The general health questionnaire (GHQ) and symptom checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) were used for evaluating psychological symptoms and screening psychological patients. The mean scores of each psychological dimension in 4 phases: reception time, one, three and six months after the accident were obtained and were compared with statistical tests (t-test, repeated measures ANOVA and one-way ANOVA). The average age of the sample was 24.4±8.5 years. The mean score of all psychological dimensions, except summarization and obsessive compulsive dimensions, increased from reception time to one month and 3 months later (p<0.05). Then the scores decreased to 6 months after the accident time (p<0.05). Three months after the accident time, unmarried patients had a higher score of depression compared to the married ones (p<0.05). The mean scores of depression, phobic, paranoid and psychoticism were higher (p<0.05) in unemployed versus employed persons. Based on our results, the psychological problems started from accident time until 3 month later. Therefore, the fast and early diagnoses of the complications, use of appropriate pharmacological and psychological interventions, also effective planning for their rehabilitation are both essential and important.