Purpose: Severe trauma is accompanied not only with functional disabilities, but also with pain, social and psychological problems of the patient. Those four aspects are important components of the construct quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this study was to evaluate different questionnaires and to compare results between multiply injured patients and healthy controls.
Methods: A group of 43 severely injured patients was matched according to age, gender, educational status and family life situation to 43 persons who had never experienced a severe injury. For the assessment of all four aspects of QoL the patients completed validated questionnaires: Beck-Depression-Inventory (BDI), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a questionnaire for locus of control (KKG), and a questionnaire for social support (SOZU).
Results: Patients and the control group showed remarkable differences: 22 of 43 trauma patients suffered from bad health perception (subscale of SF-36) (8/43 control persons), 21 trauma patients reported moderate to severe pain (5/43 control persons), 11 of 43 trauma patients suffered from anxiety (4/43 control persons) and 10 of 43 trauma patients complained about depressive symptoms (2/43 control persons).
Conclusion: One year after trauma, patients suffer from severe impairments, some even in all four aspects of QoL. The questionnaires used are very well applicable to patients after severe injuries. A trauma-specific Quality of Life Instrument is lacking--and is currently developed by the german trauma registry group.