[Presence of stress reaction and coping mechanisms in traumatic arm-hand injured adults in Kuwait and the influence on hand disability status]

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Table of Content

Literature Review1

Theory of Stress and Coping2

Causes and Consequences of Traumatic Arm-Hand Injuries8

Stress and Coping in Relation to Injuries9

Literature on Hand Injuries and Psychology in the Arab World15

References17

Presence of stress reaction and coping mechanisms in traumatic arm-hand injured adults in Kuwait and the influence on hand disability status

Literature Review

The main purpose of this paper will be to make an analysis on the presence of stress reaction and coping mechanisms in traumatic arm-hand injured adults in Kuwait and the influence on hand disability status. In recent decades research examining the negative influence of stress on mental and physical health has propagated. Stress has been associated with both psychological and physiological symptoms. The relationship between stress and injuries is one of the most robust findings in the psychological literature. Stressful events have been shown to significantly predict stress outcomes across many populations. Although stressful events have been associated with experiencing stress symptoms, exposure to stressful events cannot fully account for individual differences in stress outcomes (Malec, 2003). Said another way, some individuals appear to be particularly vulnerable to developing stress after being exposed to stressful events (Robinson, 2003).

While the relationship between stress and injuries with and without the moderation of cognitive style and coping style is well understood in normal adult populations, little is known about the relationship between stress, cognitive and coping styles, and stress in hand injured populations (Ohman, 2007). The etiological development or causes of hand injuries vary. Hand injuries may be traumatic hand injuries (THI) or acquired hand injuries (AHI). The Center for Disease Control (CDC) define THI as resulting from a jolt or blow to the head that may or may not have penetrated the skull, which causes disruption in hand functioning. THI has been hypothesized to be caused by an external force that impacts the hand either by direct contact (e.g. gunshot) or due to acceleration and deceleration (e.g. whiplash during a car accident). AHI on the other hand, is an injury to the hand that occurs after birth (excludes degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease) that is not caused by a blunt force (Ponsford, 1995). For example, a stroke is considered an AHI because it develops after birth and results from a hemorrhage of the blood vessels in the hand that causes damage to cells due to the lack of oxygen (Nolan, 1998).

Theory of Stress and Coping

As previously described, many individuals who have experienced a hand injury report experiencing symptoms of stress. Stress has been shown to be associated with stress symptoms in individuals with hand injuries. Research suggests that perceived stress was a significant independent contributor to self-reported stress symptoms in this population. Individuals with hand injury are exposed to two broad categories of stress: (1) stress which is independent of their injury, including life events such as marital discord and financial concerns, and (2) stress associated with their injury, such as ...