title: Does Blame Impede Health Recovery After Transport Accidents?
abstract: Blame towards the wrongdoer can be a source of distress for people who are injured in a transport accident. The association between blame and psychological stress is well investigated. In contrast, not much is known about blame and health-care utilization. It is important to investigate whether blame is associated with health-care consumption because it may contribute to our knowledge about what factors have an effect on recovery after transport accidents. The current study involved a total of 2940 participants, who were selected from a compensation database in Victoria, Australia. Health-care utilization, in general, and utilization of psychologist and physiotherapist visits, in particular, were defined as the outcome. In contrast to a previous study, it was found that blaming the other was associated with greater health-care utilization, in general, and psychologists and physiotherapist visits, specifically. Another relevant finding was that, although the study involved a sample that was created to show an equal ratio of blame/no-blame, 61 % blamed the other driver; therefore, blame may be a motive to lodge a claim. Finally, we discuss the role that psychologists and claim managers could play in reducing feelings of blame in order to reduce health-care utilization and possibly improve recovery.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Law, Department of Civil Law, VU University, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Faculty of Psychology and Education, Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nieke A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Elbers
authors.affiliation: Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research, Monash University, Level 11, 499 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004 Victoria Australia.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Collie
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Law, Department of Civil Law, VU University, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arno J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Akkermans
keywords: Blame; Compensation processes; Health care; Injury; Physiotherapist; Psychologist