Citation

Iverson GL, Terry DP, Karr JE, Panenka W, Silverberg ND. J. Neurotrauma 2018; 35(10): 1156-1166.

Affiliation

UBC, Medicine , 4255 Laurel St , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada , V5Z 4R2 ; noah.silverberg@vch.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2017.5402

PMID

29239280

Abstract

Perceived injustice is a belief that one has been treated unfairly, disrespectfully, and is suffering unnecessarily as a result of another person's actions. Perceived injustice predicts chronic disability after musculoskeletal injury, but to our knowledge, has not been empirically studied in people with mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBIs). We examined perceived injustice and its correlates in patients who were slow to recover from MTBI. Patients (N=102) were recruited from four concussion clinics. The sample was on average 41.2 years old (SD=11.7; range=21-64), 53.9% were women, and they were evaluated 2-26 weeks post injury (M=12.1, SD=6.3). Patients completed measures assessing perceived injustice (Injustice Experience Questionnaire; IEQ), post-concussion symptoms, posttraumatic stress, depression, pain, disability, and neuropsychological performance validity. Patients frequently endorsed items such as "I just want to have my life back" (85.2%) and "people don't understand how severe my condition is" (89.1%), with 23.5% of the sample scoring in the clinically significant range on the IEQ (Total Score>30). Internal consistency was very high (Cronbach's α=.91). Patients who failed performance validity testing (Cohen's d=.48) or were seeking/receiving compensation (d=0.92) reported greater perceived injustice. Greater perceived injustice was associated with greater post-concussion symptoms (r=.48), traumatic stress (r=.69), depression (r=.60), bodily pain (r=.32), and negative expectations for recovery (r=.40; all ps<.01). Given that perceived injustice is a belief system that can influence health behaviors, it might be a viable target for psychological treatment.

Language: en

Keywords

ADULT BRAIN INJURY; HEAD TRAUMA; TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY