Psychological workplace injury and incapacity: A call for action

Abstract

The financial cost to workplaces associated with mental health conditions is considerable. Consequently, this article explores the last two decades of Australian data pertaining to work-related psychological injuries, work capacity and benefit/compensation pathways. The presented data highlights the increasing costs and duration of mental health-related workers’ compensation claims, indicating a steady intensification of the complexity or severity of psychological injury claims. Equally, psychiatric conditions form the largest proportion of longer-term incapacity benefits received in the working population. This article then considers why there has not been reduction in rates of work-related psychological injury, and moreover, why are workers who functional recovery appears to be worsening in recent years. Firstly, despite regulatory reform, there is little practical direction available to guide preventative change, as such, establishing an evidence base for effective tools to mitigate workplace psychosocial hazards is critical. Secondly, an increased focus on workers who are already unwell is urgently needed. Multi-component work interventions, upskilling managers, and rehabilitation-focused treatments have demonstrated effectiveness and require considered implementation. Finally, at a policy level, it is important to redress aspects of the Workers’ Compensation Scheme that may be impeding recovery.