Emotional Distress in a Patients Following Polytrauma

Abstract

Introduction

Emotional affectivity can be described under two general dimensions: positive affectivity and negative affectivity. It is often assessed by means of questionnaires completed retrospectively by the subjects. The most common scales used are PANAS, DES, and PANA-X. All these scales are based on the concept of two dimensions, negative and positive affective emotions, respectively. Both dimensions mentioned, positive and negative affectivity, can be associated with a bipolar dimensional entity called pleasant-unpleasant. Specifically, a high level of positive emotions and a low level of negative emotions are associated with pleasant/positive feelings (happiness, well-being, satisfaction, cheerfulness, etc.), while a low level of positive emotions and a high level of negative emotions are associated with negative feelings (sadness, anger, nervousness, depression, anxiety, etc.).

Materials and Methods

This study is an observational and cross-sectional study. The elements that led to the production of the final database were collected by means of a questionnaire, which included 43 items, 39 of which were specific questions found in the affective distress profile. The questionnaire was administered to 145 patients who had suffered polytrauma and were admitted to the Emergency Hospital of Galati in October 2022. The final centralizing tables included the characteristics of 145 patients, aged between 14 and 64 years.

Results

The aim of this study is to identify the level of emotional distress in patients who have suffered polytrauma, so the following scores were evaluated, obtained after the application of PDA: STD, ENF, END. The total distress score was obtained by summing all the negative items found in the PDA questionnaire.

Conclusion

Men show a high level of emotional distress compared to women. Polytrauma has a negative effect on patients’ emotional status, with a worrying prevalence of negative functional and dysfunctional emotions. The level of distress in polytrauma patients is high.

Keywords:

• emotional distress
• polytrauma
• affective dysfunctions
• emotions

Abbreviations

END, dysfunctional negative emotions; ENF, functional negative emotions; PDA, profile of affective dysfunctions; STD, total distress score; PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder.

Data Sharing Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the manuscript.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Clinical Emergency Hospital, Galati, Romania. (Project identification code: 479/01/2021).

Consent to Publish

Written informed consent has been obtained from all patients to publish this paper.

Declarations

This is research study.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part.

In drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

V.M.-has made the conception, wrote the final form of article and corresponding author -email: [email protected], M.A.-wrote article and data acquisition; C. A. M- formal analysis; L.D - interpretation of data; A.D.D - data analysis and has drafted the work A.M.L - revised the article.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work.

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding to report.