Workers' compensation for psychological injury: Personal and environmental correlates

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Haines, Janet | Williams, Christopher L. | Carson, Jacqueline

Affiliations: School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr Janet Haines, School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 30, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia. Fax: +61 3 62262883; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the personal and environmental factors that contribute to the lodging of a workers' compensation claim for psychological injury. Four groups were compared: individuals who had lodged a workers' compensation claim, people who had sought psychological assistance for the management of work-related stress reactions but who had not lodged a workers' compensation claim; people who had experienced stress symptoms but who had not lodged a claim or sought help; and people who experienced stressful work events but who had not developed symptoms. Examination was made of cognitive distortion, irrational beliefs and coping resources as individual factors, and stressful life events, daily hassles and work environment factors as environmental variables. The Compensation group was distinguished from other groups only on the basis of work environmental factors. The implications of these results in the understanding of the decision to lodge a workers' compensation claim are considered.

Journal: Work, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 183-194, 2004