Psychological treatment utilization following motor vehicle accident exposure: An exploratory longitudinal study

Background: Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are associated with elevated psychological distress, yet many affected individuals do not seek psychological treatment, despite it being generally available within the health care system. Objective: This exploratory prospective cohort study examined psychological distress, psychological treatment utilization, and perceived barriers over 12 months among individuals with and without MVA exposure. Methods: Individuals with (n = 60) and without (n = 108) MVA exposure completed two online surveys 12 months apart. Psychological distress was assessed using the Brief Symptom Checklist and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. Utilization of psychological treatment and perceived barriers were also measured. Analyses compared distress between groups, examined associations between distress and treatment utilization, explored an indirect association of MVA exposure with treatment utilization via baseline distress, compared perceived barriers, and examined continuity in treatment utilization over time. Results: MVA-exposed individuals reported higher distress than unexposed individuals (d = 0.53, confidence interval [CI]: 0.14–0.92). MVA exposure was not associated with treatment utilization (b = −0.10, CI: −0.74–0.55), but it was indirectly associated through elevated baseline distress (b = 0.25, CI: 0.05–0.45). No group differences emerged in perceived barriers. Previous psychological treatment was associated with treatment utilization during follow-up independent of baseline distress (b = 2.43, CI: 1.04–3.99). Conclusion: MVA-exposed individuals reported persistently elevated psychological distress but were no more likely than unexposed individuals to receive psychological treatment. These exploratory findings suggest that specific factors may limit help-seeking following MVAs despite elevated psychological distress. Future research should identify these factors using larger samples and more comprehensive barrier assessment.