PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF A CRASH

Involvement in a crash can have some serious psychological consequences.  A 1999 study indicated that of every 100 people injured in crashes... 13 will develop Acute Anxiety Disorder because of their crash, 15 will develop a specific Phobia to driving, 30 will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and at least 14 will develop a Major Depressive Disorder. There will be some overlap in these groups - some people will have multiple problems.  A conference paper based on this research study can be downloaded from here in PDF format.  The TAC has used the results of this study when talking to Psychologists about providing services to crash victims.

These consequences of involvement in a crash all have a significant effect of how happily and effectively crash victims get on with managing their day to day lives. You might not have problems that are this severe.  It's not unusual after a crash to relive the experience in your imagination, to have lots of "what if..." thoughts, and to feel anxious or angry.  Don't assume that you shouldn't be having problems if your crash was only a small one.  People react to crashes in different ways, and some people can have very strong reactions to minor crashes.

If you are having trouble dealing either with the severe consequences of crash involvement or with the nuisance feelings and thoughts, a Psychologist may be able to help you. Your contact with a psychologist might be for as little as a single session, or it could be for quite a bit longer.  It depends on the severity of your reaction to the crash and the type of problems it has caused.

When you are looking for a Psychologist you need to make sure that they have the expertise needed to help you deal with the consequences of crash involvement - like other areas of Psychology this is a specialised area, and it doesn't hurt to shop around until you find a Psychologist that is right for you.  Ideally your Psychologist will know a bit about crashes and their consequences.

The most effective approaches a Psychologist might use when helping you deal with the consequences of crash involvement will include general counselling techniques and a brief psychotherapy approach called cognitive-behaviour therapy that helps you deal with some of the emotional consequences of crash involvement (and other things). Some Psychologists might also suggest using a therapeutic technique for post-traumatic stress disorder and related problems called eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is still an experimental technique with some supporting evidence and some critical evidence.