SIRA partners with the Black Dog Institute to support people with psychological injuries returning to work 

Last financial year, there were more than 9,000 new workers compensation claims for psychological injuries, which is twice as many as in 2015.

People with psychological injuries are away from work an average of 29 weeks compared to 12 weeks for physical injuries.

The poorer return to work outcomes for these claims has contributed to a 90% increase in active psychological claims in the NSW workers compensation system since 2015.

Mr Dent said the recovery and return to work journey can be more challenging for people with psychological injuries.

“We know that delayed return to work leads to worse health and social outcomes for people,” Mr Dent said.

“Supporting people to return to work is a key priority for SIRA and in December 2021 I announced SIRA’s return to work priority action plan aimed at reversing current trends.

“One of the actions was for SIRA to fund a research fellowship at the Black Dog Institute to deliver a better understanding of the barriers to recovery faced by people with psychological injuries. The research will also help workplaces to support a person’s successful return.

“Using the findings of this research, SIRA will improve the way psychological injury claims are managed so that people experience a timely recovery and return to work.”

Dr Samineh Sanatkar, postdoctoral research fellow within the Workplace Mental Health Research Program of the Black Dog Institute, said the research will seek to improve outcomes for people with psychological injuries.

“We hope to address what factors aid and hinder early and appropriate help-seeking for mental health problems and disclosure of mental health issues in the workplace,” Dr Sanatkar said.

SIRA’s post-doctoral fellow commences at the Black Dog Institute in April 2022 until April 2024.