Beyond the obvious risk that it represents for human life, the traffic accident can also lead to serious repercussions on the mental health of victims and their loved ones, thus causing post-accident trauma as well as disorders related to post-traumatic stress.
“The traffic accident is an event that threatens life or physical and/or mental integrity. As a result, it generates a psychic upheaval, both emotional and cognitive, accompanied by various symptoms, including neuro-vertical reactions, “explains Houria Ahcene Djaballah, professor in psychology.
According to her, it is a potentially trauma event not only for people involved in the accident but also for those who attend as well as those who are informed.
Indeed, being involved in a traffic accident, whether as a driver, a passenger or even a simple witness, constitutes a traumatic experience, especially since the event occurs suddenly.
More precisely, the specialist said that the traffic accident constitutes a risk of break-in the barrier (bumper) which protects the psyche of the individual concerned in a situation which is singular to him. “It is a complex psychic event, experienced differently from one person to another, and it is the imparation that will weaken the most,” she continues. This is why, it is essential to recognize these impacts in order to provide adequate psychological support for affected people. Unfortunately, Houria Ahcene Djaballah assures that it is difficult to recognize a trauma immediately after the accident.
To this end, she explains: “Psychological trauma is not recognized as such that after, at least, a month.” Ensuring in passing that the symptomatology that appears during the first 48 hours is acute stress, the one that remains after 2 days is state of stress. “But spent a month, it is a post-traumatic psychological disorder, with all its variations,” continues the specialist. However, the latter does not recommend waiting for the pejorative signs, more than a month, or a year or more, to intervene. The reason: the earlier the psychological care, that is to say hot, the less risk of the appearance of associated disorders. “In most cases, the signs of the disorder appear quickly,” she says.
In addition, Houria Ahcene Djaballah assures that beyond the physical injuries properly speaking, when they exist, there are physical demonstrations following exposure to a traffic accident. They are essentially, according to her, symptoms of neuro-vegetative hyperactivity, such as hot flashes, abundant sweats, suffocation sensations, palpitations or tachycardia, dizzy or lypothymia, a drought of the mouth, nausea, tremors, exaggerated starting reactions, motor tension, etc.
Trauma
However, the avoidance of the place of the accident or any situation recalling it remains, according to the specialist, one of the revealing signs in many cases. It is sometimes even the only sign for many months. “And it is only during the troubles appearing long after, in cases of delayed post-traumatic psychological disorder, that it is realized that the revealing sign has not stopped existing since the accident, but that it has been neglected,” she explains.
And more often than not, it is the revival of the event, generally through nightmares, leading to night awakenings, difficulties of falling asleep, which means the existence of a psychological trauma. “These insomnia may require the use of hypnotics with risks of addiction to psychotropic substances,” she laments. Affirming in passing that the risk of addiction is important and that it should not be overlooked. According to her, he even appears among associated disorders that we meet more and more frequently.
Other signs may indicate the presence of a post-traumatic psychological disorder. Among some, it is the emotional dullness that will attract the attention of those around them. In others, it will be irritability, anger access, or the feeling of guilt that will be most preponderant, or depressed syndrome, the feeling of the future blocked. There are also concentration difficulties that may have a significant impact on school or professional performance. This is why, Houria Ahcene Djaballah believes that loved ones are alerted by any brutal drop in academic results and any disinterest in activities that were hitherto, usual.
Even further, the specialist deems it necessary not to minimize the interference of trauma with personal relations. According to her, following all the failures of failure, there are not only the risks at risk but, even more serious, the suicidal risk. To this end, she explains: “Faced with the same event, some will quickly develop their trauma, while others get bogged down in distress for lack of adequate care.”
Finally, road accidents do not only leave physical consequences because even if even bodily injuries are light, the psychological consequences can be deep and durable. Thus, the use of psychological support becomes essential to deal with these “invisible” impacts.
For Houria Ahcene Djaballah, health is a “global” and inseparable, namely biological, psychological, social, economic and environmental. “It is the understanding of this concept and its promotion, which will allow us to move better,” she concludes.
Survey carried out by Sofia Ouahib
