Uncovering Key Causes of Work-Related Psychological Injury

We know that for many employers, it can be rather challenging to face the complexities of work-related psychological injury claims.

For decades, trip and fall incidents, burns, bending and other visible physical injuries all tended to dominate workplace safety concerns for both employers and insurers alike. Now, with medical advances drawing solid links between employment issues and psychological conditions, claims for work-related injuries have grown exponentially in this area. 

We examine the key causes of many work-related psychological injuries.

Sources of injury

As described by Comcare, the two greatest contributors to the development of these injuries are the combined forces of work pressure and workplace bullying and harassment. These factors together comprise a startling 75% of all work-related psychological injury claims, with other issues such as witnessing violence or experiencing traumatic events at work being significantly less relevant to claims for psychological injury.

Distilling the key causes

We understand that it can be somewhat overwhelming to consider and address the many possible ways in which workers could sustain a psychological injury at work. Yet understanding the causes and risk mitigation strategies relevant to psychological injuries can be crucial for the modern employer.

While claim numbers for psychological injury are relatively small in number across Australian jurisdictions, their complexity and ultimate cost to insurers and employers is truly phenomenal. To understand the many possibilities for psychological harm in the workplace, we can consider causes within the broad categories of work context and work content.

Work context as contributor

The people, environment and methods of communication that ‘come with the job’ can have a profound effect on workers. As a rather communal species, humans can be strongly affected by the treatment of others, including the way that we are spoken to, included (or excluded) and generally dealt with in the workplace. Poor communication, ambiguous role descriptions and ineffective personal career development opportunities are all examples of detrimental contexts that can surround the core work itself.

Uncertainty, isolation and bullying – subtle or otherwise – can also be extremely damaging risk factors in the context of psychological health and safety. Couple these negative phenomena with a job that demands up-beat client care and service, and employers may well find themselves with the key ingredients for a work-related psychological injury.

Stress and the content of work

So we have looked at the contextual factors of workplace stress. Yet are there aspects of the work itself – the content – that can lead to the development of work-related psychological injury? Absolutely. How and when work must be completed can have a demonstrable effect on worker psychological health.

Shift work, fragmentation of work and hours, plus unremittingly meaningless work can also create the perfect storm for psychological injuries. Being required to produce high-quality outputs – fast – in the face of inappropriate facilities and/ or sub-standard equipment can also produce the type of work-related stress that can eventually devolve into a psychological injury.

Just toughen up?

For some employers, it might be tempting to dismiss these facts as simply an inability for employees to toughen up to the realities of work. Yet for better or worse, the medical evidence pointing to the link between psychological injury and some workplace issues is powerful – and continues to grow. The content of the work itself, as well as the context in which that work takes place, can both have strong implications for psychological health in the workforce.

Assessing the risk factors

Tackling the risk management of work-related psychological injuries can certainly take significant time and energy for most employers. For some, a comprehensive psychological risk audit designed to locate and address potential problem areas can be a sensible starting point. Yet it can certainly prove difficult to track down the source of more insidious undercurrents, such as bullying and harassment in the workplace. In these cases, engaging a skilled workplace investigator will ensure that your findings accurately represent the psychological reality of your particular workplace.

However tackled, the effort to develop a resilient workplace with strong preventative strategies for psychological wellness can certainly pay dividends into the future – for the organisation and for workers alike. Understanding the key causes of psychological injury can be a valuable starting point for mitigating any potentially damaging features within the workplace.

WISE Workplace provides a suite of courses from 2 hours to 1 day that can help educate and skill employees around bullying and harassment and equip managers in early intervention and prevention strategies to help your workplace remain bully free.  For more information on how WISE Workplace can help you, please contact us.