Abstract
BACKGROUND: While road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a significant global health concern, medical attention has predominantly addressed physical injuries, often overlooking the psychological impact on survivors. The mental health consequences of such traumatic events remain understudied and inadequately addressed in clinical practice. AIMS: This study examined the association between RTIs and subsequent mental health disorders. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) between 2000 and 2015. The exposed cohort comprised 39,870 patients hospitalized following RTIs. These individuals were matched 1:27 with 1,076,911 control patients hospitalized for non-RTI-related conditions, using propensity score matching based on sex, age, and admission date. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to compute adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), assessing the risk of psychiatric diagnoses in the RTI group compared to controls. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Patients hospitalized following RTIs demonstrated a substantially increased risk of subsequent mental health disorders compared to matched controls (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.66-2.79). This elevated risk remained statistically significant after comprehensive adjustment for potential confounding variables.