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Psychopathology and accidental injuries
Author(s) -
Malt U.,
Myhrer T.,
Blikra G.,
Høivik B.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1987.tb02894.x
Subject(s) - accidental , psychopathology , psychiatry , personality disorders , personality , medicine , injury prevention , poison control , clinical psychology , suicide prevention , psychology , medical emergency , psychoanalysis , physics , acoustics
One hundred and twelve adults admitted to a surgical ward due to accidental injuries were studied. Thirty‐seven percent had a psychiatric disorder on admission (DSM‐III axis I) and 21% had a personality disorder (axis 2). Substance abuse and dependence and antisocial personality disorders were most frequent. Eighteen percent were definitely distressed when injured. Persons with a personality disorder were distressed significantly more often and had sustained clinically more severe injuries. No support could be found for a hypothesis of accidental injuries being the result of hidden or unconscious self‐destructive tendencies, and only one patient was injured in a suicide attempt. Defense Mechanism Test applied to a subgroup of 20 patients suggested that high perceptual defense may be related to injury occurrence in patients at fault for the accident.