A Psychosocial Risk Factor–Targeted Intervention for the Prevention of Chronic Pain and Disability Following Whiplash Injury

The objective of this study was to determine whether the addition of a psychosocial intervention improved return-to-work rates beyond those associated with participation in a functional restoration physical therapy intervention. Subjects who had sustained whiplash injuries participated in the Progre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical therapy 2006-01, Vol.86 (1), p.8-18
Main Authors: Sullivan, Michael J L, Adams, Heather, Rhodenizer, Trina, Stanish, William D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Chronic pain
Complications and side effects
Employment
Female
Goals
Health aspects
Humans
Injuries
Male
Methods
Multivariate Analysis
Neck
Pain
Pain - psychology
Pain - rehabilitation
Pain Measurement
Physical therapy
Physical Therapy Modalities
Prevention
Program Evaluation
Psychology
Risk Factors
Social Support
Therapeutics, Physiological
Time Factors
Whiplash
Whiplash injuries
Whiplash Injuries - psychology
Whiplash Injuries - rehabilitation
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Summary:The objective of this study was to determine whether the addition of a psychosocial intervention improved return-to-work rates beyond those associated with participation in a functional restoration physical therapy intervention. Subjects who had sustained whiplash injuries participated in the Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP), which is a 10-week psychosocial intervention program that aims to increase activity involvement and minimize psychological barriers to rehabilitation progress. A sample of 60 subjects enrolled in a functional restoration physical therapy intervention were used as a historical cohort comparison group. Subjects who received the functional restoration physical therapy intervention were compared with a sample of 70 subjects who received PGAP in addition to physical therapy. Participation in PGAP plus physical therapy resulted in a higher return-to-work rate (75%) than participation in physical therapy alone (50%). Differences between treatment conditions were most pronounced for the subgroup of subjects who had the largest number of psychosocial risk factors. The findings suggest that a psychosocial risk reduction intervention can be an effective means of improving function and facilitating return to work in people who are at risk for prolonged pain-related disability.
ISSN:0031-9023
1538-6724
DOI:10.1093/ptj/86.1.8