Prognostic value of initial psychological assessment for long-term outcomes in multiple trauma patients: a retrospective cohort study using posttraumatic growth, disability acceptance, and resilience scales

Background Multiple trauma, resulting from high-energy traumatic events such as traffic accidents or falls from height, involves severe injuries to multiple body parts and is often associated with high mortality and long-term psychological sequelae, posing significant challenges to patients’ quality of life and functional recovery. Posttraumatic growth, as a positive psychological concept, refers to positive psychological changes following trauma, including enhanced personal strength and improved relationships. Initial psychological assessment is used in trauma care for early risk identification, but its prognostic value for long-term posttraumatic growth is limited in existing studies due to issues such as small sample sizes and short follow-up periods, lacking systematic evaluation. Objective To explore the prognostic value of initial psychological assessment on long-term posttraumatic growth in patients with multiple trauma, by evaluating psychological and clinical outcome indicators to verify its early predictive capability. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 160 multiple trauma patients treated between May 2022 and December 2024. Based on electronic health records, patients who had undergone a standardized psychological assessment (HADS) within 24 h of admission constituted the observation group ( n = 80), while those without such an assessment formed the control group ( n = 80). All patients underwent standard multiple trauma treatment protocols, and long-term outcomes were assessed at 6 months after discharge using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Acceptance of Disability Scale (AODS), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Data collection involved electronic medical record systems and an online questionnaire platform, with statistical analyses including intergroup comparisons and correlation assessments. Results The observation group showed significantly higher PTGI total scores compared to the control group ( t = 3.462, P < 0.05), higher AODS scores ( t = 2.793, P < 0.05), and higher CD-RISC scores ( t = 2.341, P < 0.05). In terms of clinical outcomes, the observation group had shorter hospital stays ( t = 2.127, P < 0.05), lower complication rates (χ 2 = 4.012, P < 0.05), lower readmission rates (χ 2 = 4.178, P < 0.05), and reduced pain intensity ( t = 2.339, P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that PTGI scores were negatively correlated with hospital stay ( r = −0.237, P < 0.05) and positively correlated with CD-RISC scores ( r = 0.348, P < 0.05), while AODS scores were negatively correlated with complication rates ( r = −0.286, P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression revealed that age and injury severity scores negatively predicted PTGI total scores. Subgroup analysis demonstrated better outcomes in the observation group among patients injured in traffic accidents. Conclusion Receipt of an initial psychological assessment is associated with more favorable long-term psychological and clinical outcomes in patients with multiple trauma, including higher levels of posttraumatic growth, greater disability acceptance, enhanced resilience, shorter hospitalization, and reduced pain intensity. These findings suggest the potential prognostic value of early psychological screening and support its consideration in holistic trauma care, although prospective validation is required before definitive clinical recommendations can be made.