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9 Psych. Inj. & L. 1 (2016)

handle is hein.journals/psyinjl9 and id is 1 raw text is: Psychol. Inj. and Law (2016) 9:1-5 DOI 10.1007/s12207-016-9250-x Introduction to the Special Issue on Justice-Related Appraisals and Recovery Outcomes Michael J L Sullivan' Received: 4 January 2016 /Accepted: 5 January 2016 /Published online: 13 January 2016 © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016 The past decade has witnessed a resurgence of interest in the relation between justice-related appraisals and health out- comes (Sullivan, Scott, & Trost, 2012). An emerging body of research suggests that the greater the degree of loss or suffering consequent to injury, the more likely that an injury will be experienced as a violation of justice principles (Sullivan, Yakobov, Scott, & Tait, 2014). Findings have also emerged suggesting that justice-related appraisals are likely to trigger a cascade of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses that ultimately compromise the recovery process following injury (Sullivan et al., 2014). Clinical anecdotes abound of persistent pain sufferers who feel they have been unjustly victimized either as a direct result of their injury, or indirectly by the sequellae of their injury (Aceves-Avila, Ferrari, & Ramos-Remus, 2004; Bigos & Battie, 1987). Verbalizations such as I wish he could see what he has done to my life, What did I do to deserve this?,or Nothing will ever make up for what I have gone through, reflect at once elements of the perceived unfairness of suffering, the magnitude of loss consequent to injury, the inadequacy of compensation, and the desire for retribution. Empirical research on justice-related appraisals has proceeded along several different lines. Studies have exam- ined the buffering effects of just-world beliefs in individuals with chronic pain (McParland, Hezseltine, Serpell, Eccleston, & Stenner, 2011; McParland, Hezseltine, Serpell, Eccleston, & Stenner 2011). Other studies have examined the impact of Michael J L Sullivan Michael.Sullivan@mcgill.ca Department of Psychology, Medicine and Neurology, Montreal, QC, Canada claimant dissatisfaction with health or employer practices on distress and disability in injured workers (Chibnall, Tait, Andresen, & Hadler, 2006). Research has also examined the relation between scores on measures of perceived jus- tice and measures of symptom severity and disability (Sullivan, Adams, Martel, Scott, & Wideman, 2011). Findings have been consistent in showing that justice-related appraisals are signifi- cant determinants of symptom severity, emotional distress, and disability consequent to debilitating injury (Sullivan et al., 2008; Sullivan et al., 2012). Despite the apparent centrality of themes of injustice in the experience of and recovery from injury, justice-related appraisals have not been addressed directly with- in current biopsychosocial models of pain and disability (Gatchel, Peng, Peters, Fuchs, & Turk, 2007). Until recently, perceived injustice was not thought to be an important determinant of recovery and rehabilitation outcomes. As a result, the clinical management of perceived injustice in the treatment of individuals with persistent musculoskeletal pain has not been systematically addressed. Indeed, in the sub- ject index of leading cognitive-behavioral treatment manuals for pain and disability management, the word injustice does not appear (Kerns, Sellinger, & Goodin, 2011; Taylor, 2005; D. Turk, Meichenbaum, & Genest, 1983). Although justice-related appraisals might be construed as mental constructions, like all mental representations, they can be fueled, at least in part, by objective characteristics of an external reality. It is becoming clear that there are situational and systemic variables that are likely to seed the development of perceptions of injustice. Reckless drivers and unsafe work environments do exist, as do unfair, disrespectful or adversarial insurer practices. Injured individuals might face legitimate and continuing inequities in access to services and resources in medical, insurer, and employment systems. These external forces can lead to the emergence and persistence of perceptions of injustice following injury. 4L Springer crossMark

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