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Monday, July 18, 2022

Bad Case Managers and Mental Illness

We’ve known for many years that injured workers are at increased risk of mental illness, with 25 percent of them reporting feelings of depression 12 months after their injury.

But now a new study shows that injured workers also have increased risk of mental illness if they have poor interactions with their workers compensation case manager. 

The Ontario study found that claimants who reported that they weren’t treated with dignity or respect were 3.6 times more likely to develop symptoms of depression and/or anxiety in the 18 months after their injury than those who were treated well. 

It also found that claimants who weren’t given the information they needed from their case managers were 2.6 times more likely to develop symptoms. 

Similar findings were reported by a study done in Australia. 

The good news is that 82 percent of claimants felt they were treated well by their case managers. But only two-thirds felt they got the information they needed when they needed it. 

The study authors highlighted “the importance of open and fair communication with workers compensation claimants in ensuring timely recovery and return to work.”

Sources: heretohelp.bc.ca, iwh.on.ca, link.springer.com