Biopsychosocial determinants of work outcomes of workers with occupational injuries receiving compensation: a...

The evolution of musculoskeletal disorders and the adjustment to its consequences is a complex, multidimensional process determined by biopsychosocial factors. Despite the plethora of research in this field, little consensus has emerged about its main risk factors. The aims of the present study are to investigate the capacity of biopsychosocial variables to predict active involvement in a return to work process.

A sample (N=62) of workers with mostly chronic occupational injuries receiving compensation benefits from the CSST [Quebec Workers' Compensation Board] was recruited.

Questionnaires were administered at baseline and subjects were followed prospectively and assessed again after 2 and 8 months.

The variables under investigation were: age, gender, duration of symptoms, pain severity, disability, work importance, work support, work satisfaction, recovery expectations, depression, anxiety, global distress severity index, post-traumatic symptoms and readiness to change. After multivariate analysis, we found gender, work recovery expectations and importance of work to be predictive of work outcomes at 2 months. After 8 months, age, medical consolidation, trauma symptoms, work support and importance of work were predictive of work outcomes.

The results show the importance of addressing chronic work disability in research and rehabilitation from a multidimensional perspective although psychosocial variables were the most significant predictors in this study.