The psychological impact of a motorcycle injury

With support from Mark Campion, Regional Coordinator for Mental Health Motorbike.  

While we often focus on the physical side of recovery after a motorbike collision, the emotional and psychological impact of a motorcycle injury shouldn’t be overlooked.  

A motorcycle collision can have a significant effect on an individual’s mental wellbeing. As well as the initial trauma of the collision, you’ll also have the challenge of accepting and adapting to any injuries or limitations that result. 

Mental Health Motorbike is a charity run by bikers for bikers, focusing on supporting the mental wellbeing of motorcyclists. Set up by Paul Oxborough in 2020, the charity provides Mental Health First Aid training, as well as facilitating peer support and providing signposting to those who need it.  

We recently spoke to Mark Campion, a keen biker himself, who is the regional coordinator for the charity for the Greater Manchester and Cheshire region. We discussed the connection between physical and mental health, and the importance of prioritising your mental wellbeing after a motorcycle injury.  

Having started motorcycling aged 16, biking has been a big part of Mark’s life ever since. After a career in the public sector, where he supported the psychological wellbeing of individuals in high-stress professions, Mark trained as a meditation and mindfulness teacher, as well as an EMDR therapist. Now semi-retired, his professional experience and passion for motorcycling led him to join the charity Mental Health Motorbike. As a Regional Coordinator, Mark runs mindfulness courses to support the mental health of fellow bikers. 

Q – Can you describe some common psychological effects that people might experience after a motorbike injury? 

A – A motorcycle crash can often be quite traumatic. So, in the first three to four weeks, people will often show what we call post-trauma symptoms. They may feel tearful for no reason at all, or they might want to withdraw a little bit. They may have intrusive images, where an image of the incident will come back. These are different than flashbacks, which are often associated with PTSD. They may feel moody for no reason at all, as well as feeling quite tired physically. All of these things are normal and expected following a crash. 

Q – How does the sudden and traumatic nature of a motorbike crash impact mental health?  

A – All injuries are likely to have some impact on mental health, but for a lot of motorcyclists, getting out on their bike is their therapy. If you suddenly take that away, due to injury or a written-off bike, that is going to impact their wellbeing.  

So, even if injuries are minimal, that alone can impact mental health. Especially, if you consider that they’re no longer meeting up with friends and the wider biker community as they normally would on a weekend. You can see how this could start affecting mood and send someone on a downward slope.  

Q – How does the physical recovery process affect the psychological side of things? For example, how does coping with limited mobility or chronic pain affect mental health? 

A – Chronic pain can be extremely difficult to cope with and can be linked with depression. Inactivity and being unable to do what we previously could, can also have a significant impact on mental health.  

Q – What types of support systems—personal, medical, or therapeutic—are helpful for someone recovering from the trauma of a motorcycle collision? 

A – You can’t ignore any of those support systems. But for me, one of the things that is really important as a support systems is our own self.  

So, within mindfulness, we teach about acceptance. It’s about accepting that something has happened. Something traumatic has happened and accepting, you know, this is where I am at the moment. After a collision, some people will struggle to accept what has happened. So, the first step to recovery has to be acceptance. OK, this has happened. Now let’s try and go from there and move forward. 

Q – Can you talk about the importance of peer support or connecting with others who have had an injury?  

A – Having peer support after a collision is really important, so that you don’t isolate yourself. Remember to keep talking with your peers and meet up with them if you can.  

Speaking to somebody who has a similar story to yourself can be helpful in normalising what has happened and can help people realise they’re not alone in the way they feel. 

Q – What advice would you give to family members or friends supporting a loved one through the recovery after a motorcycle collision? 

A – I think it’s important to have patience with someone who’s been in a collision . As well as listening to them and asking what you can do to help.  But I’d also say, as a family member of someone who has been injured, it’s really important to look after yourself too.  

A lot of people focus on the injured person, but after a motorbike collision, it can put a lot of pressure on other family members. They might sometimes feel like they’re walking on eggshells, or they might feel guilty for doing things that a family member can’t. It’s important that you don’t neglect your own mental health, because if you’re mentally well, you’re better for the person you’re caring for.  

Q – Can you tell us more about Mental Health Motorbike and the work you’re doing?  

A – Our aim is to get the conversation started around mental health and reduce the stigma, especially in the biking community. A large proportion of the motorbike community is middle-aged men, who traditionally aren’t great at opening up and talking about how they’re feeling. 

The charity is of course open to all motorcyclists, male or female, as well as their families. But a lot of middle-aged men have grown up in an environment where you just get on with it. And the work we’re doing is getting bikers to talk about their mental health more openly. 

Last year, we trained over 500 mental health first aiders. Our plan is to have mental health first aid wherever we can, in every bike club, every biker cafe, every bike shop. So that people will know they’ve always got somebody to talk to; somebody confidential, who’s not going to be judgmental. 

We also work closely with Fletchers, in particular Mary [Lomas] who has been a great help in supporting riders with the legal aspect of a claim – she’s brilliant. After a collision , it can be really helpful for someone, knowing that they have control over the legal side of things can be a weight lifted, so they can focus on their own recovery.  

Q – How can Mental Health Motorbike help someone struggling after a motorcycling collision ?  

A – As well as the mental health first aid work we do, we also have a Facebook support page that we monitor, which anybody can post on. Following a collision, a biker might withdraw into themselves and step back a little bit. People share their experiences and there’s always somebody that will support them or signpost them to get the right support. We also have a facility on our website, where you can click a button that says ‘I need help’ and somebody will then contact them and be able to chat to them or offer signposting. 

To find out more about Mental Health Motorbike, visit https://mhmotorbike.com/