Psychological consequences of experiencing trauma among people injured in road accidents

This article attempts to describe the psychological effects of experiencing trauma among people injured in road accidents. The analyzes conducted by the World Health Organization predict that by 2020 road accidents will become the leading cause of premature death. The experience shows that in about one-fourth of those involved in a road accident there appear all sorts of difficulties. They appear immediately after the event, and those persisting for at least a month after the accident stop spontaneously among some of these people. Sometimes, however, for many months or even years after the accident, there may persist symptoms suggestive of post- traumatic disorder, such as anxiety or avoidance of situations reminiscent of the traumatic event (driving a car, crossing the road, etc.), discomfort, recurrent unwanted memories or dreams of the accident. The aggravating situation related to a traffic accident can cause extensive and long-lasting consequences in mental life. The spectrum of traumatic and post-traumatic disorders ranges from the effects of a single earth-shattering event to more complex consequences of long-lasting, repeated abuse and stress. A description of the types of reactions to a traumatic event is not easy due to the complexity of somatic, cognitive, emotional symptoms, as well as behaviours being the manifestation of an individual way of dealing with traumatic situations.