| Nederlands

The course of whiplash : its psychological determinants and consequences forThe course of whiplash : its psychological determinants and consequences for work disability

(2009) Buitenhuis, Jan

The term whiplash refers to a specific movement of the head due to a rear-end collision. Nowadays the term is used to describe a complex of unexplained symptoms, including neck pain, reported after an accident of any kind. This thesis includes studies on the consequences of whiplash for work disability and the relationship with psychological factors.
Whiplash-induced work disability is a highly frequent condition. At least 50% of people with neck complaints after a traffic-accident are at any moment work disabled. Although most people return to work, 10% is still work disabled after one year. Age and concentrations problems were found to predict long-lasting work disability.
In four separate studies the relationship between coping styles, kinesiophobia, posttraumatic stress disorder and causal beliefs were studied. Remarkably, attributing the initial neck pain to ‘whiplash’ was found to be related to longer lasting complaints. It illustrates the potential negative influence of medical labelling. Dysfunctional connotations and symptom expectations may cause people to behave in a way (for instance by avoiding to move their head) that eventually has a detrimental influence on the prognosis. Furthermore it was found that people with neck pain after an accident often experience posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Especially hyperarousal symptoms were found to be related to the severity and course of whiplash symptoms.
This thesis discusses the clinical implications and includes suggestions on how to improve the prognosis by reducing negative expectations.

	Title and contents
	Chapter 1
	Chapter 2
	Chapter 3
	Chapter 4
	Chapter 5
	Chapter 6
	General discussion and conclusions
	Summary
	Samenvatting
	Dankwoord
	About the author
	Graduate School for Health Research SHARE
	Complete thesis