Perceived Injustice as a Determinant of the Severity of Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms Following Occupational Injury

Abstract

Background The present study assessed the role of perceived injustice in the experience and persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following work-related musculoskeletal injury. Methods The study sample consisted of 187 individuals who were absent from work as a result of a musculoskeletal injury. Participants completed measures of pain severity, perceived injustice, catastrophic thinking, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and disability on three occasions at three-week intervals. Results Consistent with previous research, correlational analyses revealed significant cross-sectional relations between pain and PTSS, and between perceived injustice and PTSS. Regression analysis on baseline data revealed that perceived injustice contributed significant variance to the prediction of PTSS, beyond the variance accounted for by pain severity and catastrophic thinking. Sequential analyses provided support for a bi-directional relation between perceived injustice and PTSS. Cross-lagged regression analyses showed that early changes in perceived injustice predicted later changes in PTSS and early changes in PTSS predicted later changes in perceived injustice. Conclusions Possible linkages between perceived injustice and PTSS are discussed. The development of effective intervention techniques for targeting perceptions of injustice might be important for promoting recovery of PTSS consequent to musculoskeletal injury.

Sex differences in response to rehabilitation treatment for musculoskeletal pain: the mediating role of post-traumatic stress symptoms

“…PTSS can interfere with full participation in family, social, recreational, and occupational activities [21,63,64]. Avoidance is a central feature of the experience of PTSS where individuals are motivated to avoid situations or activities that might trigger memories of the trauma [18,20]. When trauma exposure has occurred in the workplace, the workplace might become a key object of avoidance and contribute to prolonged work absence.…”

“…Research suggests that across several high stress occupations, the prevalence and severity of PTSS is higher in women than in men [19]. For example, in a sample of health care professionals in emergency departments, Carmassi et al [20] observed significantly higher levels of PTSS in women than in men. In a recent study, Pavilanis et al [21] reported that women scored higher than men on a measure of PTSS following a workplace musculoskeletal injury.…”