Topical Concurrent Session 3C – Perceived injustice after injury: Are compensation systems to blame, and what should we do about it?

Description

Perceived injustice after injury: Are compensation systems to blame, and what should we do about it?

Chair: Dr Melita Giummarra, Monash University, VIC
The health impacts of injury are frequently found to be worse when the injury was compensable, suggesting that the mechanism and severity of compensable injury and/or engagement with the compensation system have a negative impact on health outcomes. While symptom exaggeration and malingering may play a role in some cases, it seems that the “compensation effect” arises from factors such as attribution of fault, perceived injustice and the psychological impacts of engagement with the compensation system.

This workshop will discuss evidence relating to:

Sources of perceived injustice (e.g., actions of individuals seen to be responsible for the injury, interactions with insurers, and negative experiences with health professionals and family members).
The relationship between perceived fault and the development of chronic pain and mental health conditions after injury.
Possible pathways by which perceived injustice impacts on recovery processes including the experience of intense and prolonged anger, adversarial relations with insurers, noncompliance with treatment, and conflictual interactions among family members.
The role of system-specific factors in the experience of stress, pain and perceived fairness (e.g., fault vs no fault systems, the impact of specific procedures involved in seeking/receiving compensable healthcare, benefits and lump sum payments).
Potential avenues for action, from changes in compensation scheme administration procedures to early, targeted interventions for injured persons.
Presenters:
Dr Melita Giummarra, Monash University, VIC
Dr Darnel Murgatroyd, University of Sydney, NSW
Professor Jenny Strong, Minimise Pain, QLD