1 Before you use it
What it is
Twelve items on the sense that the injury was unfair, that the loss is irreparable, and that someone is to blame — severity of loss and blame/unfairness.
Highly relevant to compensable injuries, which is exactly the whiplash and work-injury caseload a student meets.
When to reach for it
Compensable injuries, motor vehicle claims and work injuries that are not progressing as expected — especially whiplash.
Patterns it serves · 2
2 Giving it
Scoring
Twelve items, 0–4 each, totalling 0–48. Higher means greater perceived injustice.
What it doesn’t measure
Diagnose anything, or tell you the injury was or wasn't unfair. It measures the patient's experience.
3 Reading the score
Interpreting it
**A cut-point around 30 is commonly cited.
Perceived injustice is associated with poorer outcomes and it is not the same as catastrophising — and it is not something a loading programme addresses. Recognising it changes who else needs to be involved.
Is the change real?
Student trap. Treating a high score as the patient being difficult. It's a recognised prognostic factor, and it needs a different plan, not a different attitude.
Official source: sullivan-painresearch.mcgill.ca. We don't host the form.
This is a learning tool. It does not diagnose patients and does not replace your clinical educator.
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CliniStudy is in beta. One tap is enough — it decides what gets fixed first.