Useful resources about psychology and [serious] injury

 The Cycle of Despair

The model, developed by John McPhilbin (Injured Workers Support Network) consists of four major components that when taken together offer a bleak picture of  mental health of seriously injured or ill workers trapped in dysfunctional workers compensation systems.  Hence the reason the model is titled ‘Cycle of Despair’ since many workers become trapped in a never ending cycle of neglect and abuse that works against their ability to recover.

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1. Coping with trauma. Injured workers are forced to cope with the impact of injury and illness on their life which is often accompanied by loss and grief associated with loss of previous functioning (physical and or/ psychological and social).

2. Trapped in adversarial system.They are then exposed to often sustained poor treatment by employers, insurers and the workers compensation in general.

3.  Hopelessness and despair. Injury and /or illness are made worse and hope for a normal future often fades.

4. De-motivation. The ability to remain motivated and optimistic is reduced as the destructive cycle continues to be reinforced.

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Great articles and useful stuff

• The Guide to the evaluation of psychiatric impairment for clinicians (G.E.P.I.C) used today to assess permanent primary and/or secondary psychiatric/psychological conditions as suffered as a result from or as a consequence from a workplace injury, by insurance doctors and medical panels
• Independent psychiatric examination (IME psychiatry): don’t get fooled
• More articles can be found using the tag or search term “Psych“

Factsheets

• Serious injury and depression anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder: The physical harm and suffering associated with a serious injury can often have an impact on mental health. The emotional trauma of a sudden and severe injury – resulting from events such as an assault, car accident or accidental fall – can increase the risk of a person developing an anxiety disorder such as Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or depression.

Useful Links

• BeyondBlue
• Australian Psychological Society – Psychology in the public interest