Comparing time off work after work-related mental health conditions across Australian workers’ compensation systems: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Workers’ compensation claims (WCC) due to mental health conditions (MHC) are the most expensive due to often lengthy periods off work. This retrospective cohort study aims to determine the factors associated with work time loss in Australian workers with accepted WCCs for MHCs, and investigate whether jurisdiction in which a claim is made affects work time loss, using administrative claims data between January 2010 and June 2011. Cox regression analysis showed that worker age, industry, occupation and type of MHC were associated with work time loss. Workers with depressive disorders had longer time loss than those with stress-related conditions. Workers from South Australia, Comcare and Victoria had the longest durations of work time loss, while Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania had shorter durations. Future research should investigate policy variations that could explain the differences in time spent on compensation between jurisdictions.

Key words:

• compensation
• mental health
• policy
• work absence
• work injury

Acknowledgements

The data reported in this document have been provided by Safe Work Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The following WC authorities have given permission for claims administrative data to be used in the study, and have provided input and assistance with data quality assurance and interpretation: WorkSafe Victoria, WorkCover WA, ReturnToWork SA, Comcare, Office of Industrial Relations Queensland Treasury, State Insurance Regulatory Authority of New South Wales, NT Worksafe, WorkCover Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory. The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the ComPARE data and policy advisory group who have contributed to the establishment of the database used in this study.

Ethical standards

 

Declaration of conflicts of interest

Shannon E. Gray has declared no conflicts of interest.

Alex Collie has declared no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported with financial input from Safe Work Australia and WorkSafe Victoria, via the Insurance Work and Health Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University.