A common-sense model of injury perceptions

The aim of this study was to clarify the difference between perceptions of injury and illness. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 38 individuals who had been injured in the past, 8 medical psychologists, 62 graduate psychology students, and 19 health professionals treating injured patients. Data were analyzed by modified analytic induction and constant comparison methods. Common-sense perceptions of injury overlapped with some perceptions of illness, and 4 new themes were elicited. It was concluded that there are themes unique to injury perceptions that should be recognized in research as well as in clinical interventions.