Compensable Mental Disease and Return-to-Work in Australia

The purpose of this study is to report return-to work rates from 76 persons whose primary complaint was a compensable mental disease or psychological injury. The data were extracted from a larger cohort of 1466 persons who had undertaken a vocational assessment (2001-2022) for determination of economic loss as part of a claim for compensation for a personal injury (work, motor vehicle or general injury). Participants comprised 37 males and 39 females, with a mean age of 33.9 years at the time of injury and on average were now 39.5 years. The return-to-work outcomes were that 19 returned to work, 31 had never worked since the injury and 26 had returned to work at one time but were now not working. This outcome is consistent with compensable injuries in general