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Work Impairment and Disability in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review and Recommendations for Psychological Injury Research and Practice

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Abstract

Work impairment and disability are common consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as reflected by significant rates of sickness absence, failure to return to work, and reduced work performance. Within the psychological injury field, the issue of work impairment and disability in PTSD often arises in workers’ compensation and disability insurance claims and in personal injury litigation. In this context, clinical and forensic practitioners are faced with challenges in rendering expert opinions on diagnosis, causality, prognosis, and recommendations for treatment and rehabilitation. To promote understanding of this important, yet understudied area, there are three aims of this paper: first, to review the current literature on work impairment and disability associated with PTSD; second, to draw on this literature to present a biopsychosocial framework of work impairment and disability in PTSD; and third, to offer suggestions for improving the assessment and management of PTSD-related work impairment and disability.

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Notes

  1. The complex and controversial topic of PTSD malingering is beyond the scope of the present article. For recent reviews of this area, see Taylor and Asmundson (2008) and Taylor et al. (2007).

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  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2A1, Canada

    Jaye Wald & Steven Taylor

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  1. Jaye Wald
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Correspondence to Jaye Wald.

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Preparation of this article was supported in part by a Career Investigator Award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, awarded to the first author.

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Wald, J., Taylor, S. Work Impairment and Disability in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review and Recommendations for Psychological Injury Research and Practice. Psychol. Inj. and Law 2, 254–262 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-009-9059-y

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