# The Risk of Road Traffic Injuries Caused Hospitalization and the Risk of Mental Health Illness: A Nationwide, Matched‐Cohort, Population‐Based Study in Taiwan

## TL;DR

This study shows that road traffic injury survivors face a higher risk of mental health issues like depression and anxiety compared to others.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence linking road traffic injuries to long-term mental health risks using a large, nationwide matched-cohort design.

## Key findings

- RTI patients had a 2.20 times higher risk of mental health disorders compared to controls.
- The increased risk remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors.
- Findings suggest the need for early psychiatric screening in trauma care.

## Abstract

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.

This study examined the association between RTIs and subsequent mental health disorders.

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.

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.

This nationwide matched‐cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) examined the long‐term mental health outcomes following hospitalization due to road traffic injuries. Patients with road traffic injury (RTI) ‐related hospitalizations had a significantly higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, and post‐traumatic stress disorder compared with matched controls. Early psychiatric screening and timely interventions should be considered in trauma care and health policy planning.