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Long-term functioning following whiplash injury: the role of social support and personality traits

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Abstract

Transition from acute whiplash injury to either recovery or chronicity and the development of chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) remains a challenging issue for researchers and clinicians. The roles of social support and personality traits in long-term functioning following whiplash have not been studied concomitantly. The present study aimed to examine whether social support and personality traits are related to long-term functioning following whiplash. One hundred forty-three subjects, who had experienced a whiplash injury in a traffic accident 10–26 months before the study took place, participated. The initial diagnoses were a ‘sprain of the neck’ (ICD-9 code 847.0); only the outcome of grades I–III acute WAD was studied. Long-term functioning was considered within the biopsychosocial model: it was expressed in terms of disability, functional status, quality of life and psychological well-being. Participants filled out a set of questionnaires to measure the long-term functioning parameters (i.e. the Neck Disability Index, Medical Outcome Study Short-Form General Health Survey, Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment measure of overall well-being and the Symptom Checklist-90) and potential determinants of long-term functioning (the Dutch Personality Questionnaire and the Social Support List). The results suggest that social support (especially the discrepancies dimension of social support) and personality traits (i.e. inadequacy, self-satisfaction and resentment) are related to long-term functioning following whiplash injury (Spearman rho varied between 0.32 and 0.57; p < 0.01). Within the discrepancy dimension, everyday emotional support, emotional support during problems, appreciative support and informative support were identified as important correlates of long-term functioning. Future prospective studies are required to confirm the role of social support and personality traits in relation to long-term functioning following whiplash. For such studies, a broad view of long-term functioning within the biopsychological model should be applied.

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the Flemish Government (Steunpunt Verkeersveiligheid project number 1.4). Liesbeth Daenen is a research fellow of the University of Antwerp, Belgium. We also like to thank all the participants for providing the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Building L-Mfys, Pleinlaan 2, BE-1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Jo Nijs & Liesbeth Daenen

  2. Division of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, Department of Health Care Sciences, Artesis University College, Antwerp, Belgium

    Jo Nijs, Liesbeth Daenen & Nathalie Roussel

  3. Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium

    Jo Nijs

  4. Human Ecology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Els Inghelbrecht, Luc Hens & Jan Bernheim

  5. Medical Sociology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Els Inghelbrecht

  6. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Liesbeth Daenen & Patrick Cras

  7. Departments of Critical Care Medicine and Cerebral Resuscitation Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Said Hachimi-Idrissi

  8. Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg, Hasselt, Belgium

    Bert Willems

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  1. Jo Nijs
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Correspondence to Jo Nijs.

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Nijs, J., Inghelbrecht, E., Daenen, L. et al. Long-term functioning following whiplash injury: the role of social support and personality traits. Clin Rheumatol 30, 927–935 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-011-1712-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-011-1712-7

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