Distress is common after injury among people with a broad range of injury types and severities, according to findings from a New Zealand longitudinal cohort study. A total of 2856 study participants were recruited from a national insurance claims register, and were interviewed approximately 3, 12, and 24 months after their injury. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) was used to measure psychological distress at each interview. Clinically relevant distress (K6 score ≥8) was reported in 25% of participants at 3 months post-injury, in 15% at 12 months, and in 16% at 24 months. Independent risk factors for clinically relevant distress at 12 months included age ≥45 years, Māori or Pacific ethnicity, pre-injury mental health conditions, inadequate pre-injury income, poor pre-injury health or trouble accessing healthcare, severe injury or injury resulting from assault, and clinically relevant distress at 3 months post-injury. The majority of these risk factors also applied to distress at 24 months post-injury. The authors conclude that screening for distress early after injury is important to identify individuals in need of targeted support.
